An Exile In My Room
by FRANZAKERS
Summary: The world is in a state of disarray, League of Legends is discovered to be real by a bunch of hackers that wanted to mess up Riot's brainchild. Riot in cooperation with the various governments tried to contain the situation. But it only got worse when various people reported seeing various Champions from the game. This story is wrote by one such guy, and by his room mate; Riven.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

It was late at night, and as usual, I'm in front of my personal computer, lazing my time away with playing a game. I know that it was 11:59 and I also know that I'll wake up with blackened lines under my eyes but I don't care, a whole week full of hectic events will do that to anyone. I just want to erase the stress on my head, it's Saturday tomorrow anyway.

I'm free to do what I want to do.

I jerked the mouse quickly, I'm playing a game called League of Legends. It's a RTS game that is famous around the world for its relative complication and awesome game play. Even though I've played the game for almost half a year now, I'm still not bored or used to the game, it remains competitive and the developers regularly place new events and gimmicks to keep the game alive.

Right now I'm playing a champion named Riven, a devastating woman known for being a very tough gap closer. I pressed the Q button thrice and the figure of Riven dashed for three strikes, the third strike stunning the enemy, then I quickly pressed the R button, the button for a champion's ultimate ability. Riven's ultimate allowed her to form her broken sword, now her sword was formed she proceeded to whack the enemy champion who was getting low on health, with my help and clicking of course. When I deemed the enemy champion's health low enough, I pressed the R button again to activate the second component of her ultimate ability, making her slash with all her might, a crescent wave of powerful energies struck the enemy straight in the face, ending my opponent's life quickly.

The game was fast, ending in thirty minutes or less. It ended quickly because they allowed me to have many kills and my Riven became too powerful for them to kill. The game was on our side and the tables weren't turned for the worst, with a fifteen gap lead on the kill chart and two inhibitors destroyed, I'm surprised that they haven't cast a surrender vote. It's not that I want them to surrender though, because for me, a game is truly a game when your victory is caused by the enemy nexus destroyed by your champion's bare hands and not by a surrender vote. Like what's happening now, I'm happily relaxing on my rotating chair as Riven and a large group of minions pounded on the enemy nexus.

The Nexus's health was so diminished to a point where it will be destroyed by a few simple whacks when something unexpected happened.

Everything stopped, all the minions and all the champions became idle, the game itself stopped apparently. My brows furrowed in annoyance, like all games, this one has downsides, aside from the fact that games can be overtly frustrating at times, there was also the chance that a game can lag or worse, go DC, as in Disconnected.

I waited for the game to reconnect, and I'm really not one for patience mind you. I saw something flash from the corner of my right eye and I whipped my head to that direction, it was a lightning and the booming thunderclap soon followed. Rain was starting to pour when I lazily stood up and went to the window where I saw the lightning. I quickly closed the shutters of that window, just to blot out the lightning.

I was about to return to my seat when another thunderclap shocked my spirit out of me. The shutter curtains were blown away and I returned to close the windows itself, then I tied the shutters firmly. But it seems like I'm not the only one who was shocked, the lights on my condominium was snuffed out and all I saw was darkness, it seems like that last lightning struck something in this building.

Now I'm greatly annoyed and frustrated by these events, my game could well be done by this point and I don't like it, it will be counted as a victory for my team but not for me who left the game early. Good thing it was not a ranked game, for I would cry over that loss, my rank was Diamond 5 and I don't want to lose that position for I labored great just to reach that valued rank on the international rankings.

Another thunderclap was heard but it didn't just produce sound, it shook the building. I grasped for something to hold on to, I found something steel, probably the railing of the windows and clung on it for dear life. Everything shook and I don't like it, I hear some of my furniture and my appliances falling, even though I'm in a state of danger, I still worry over my computer and my game. See how messed up a man I am?

Then it stopped, as fast as the shaking started is as fast as it simmered down. The lights also flickered back on the same time the earthquake stopped. My feet and legs were wobbly as I cautiously stood up, wary of a stronger aftershock. I surveyed my condominium, nothing seems to be broken, the refrigerator was still standing, my glass mini table was not broken as I fearfully expected it to be, and my sofas were all well and good. I almost sighed for relief when I saw my computer set, and my eyes widened at what I saw.

The monitor was shooting out sparks, it was pierced by something that is glowing in eerie green, as I neared, I saw that the green glow emits from a piece of black rock, which was quite familiar to me. I curiously touched the fragment, well I think that it's a fragment, it was cool to the touch and my skin tingles whenever I feel it, I was mildly surprised when I felt the smoothness of the fragment, it was so soft and sharp to the touch like it was . . . a part of a larger blade.

All worry for my computer was gone as I slowly took the fragment out of my computer. Sparks flew out as I did so.

I held the fragment reverently in my hands, I turned to walk when I stepped on something. I raised my slipper to find a larger fragment, this time it was formed like an edge and there were runes on it. I looked on to find another and another, until I saw one with blood on its edges.

Alarmed, I followed the trail of blood, which went straight to my bedroom. As for the bedroom, well it doesn't look domicile for me.

The door was hanging on its hinges as if something barged past through. Fragments in my hand, I cautiously entered my own bedroom, cautious because of the things that possibly happened to be inside, sure it could be just a large object that barged into my room. But the fragments that I found and the blood that lead me here told me otherwise.

Imagine the shock on my face when I saw a woman lying on my bed.

She was sprawled on my bed, a woman with short white hair tied into a bun to the back, and a beautifully light tanned complexion. She wore metal greaves climbing up to her knees, she wore a white, curiously short skirt that showed her tanned legs. Her right hand was gauntleted with steel while her other hand was tied with white bondages, she wore a slim violet skirt that was tucked into her skirt though it was so fit that you cannot guess that its tucked in. There was a steel pauldron, on her left shoulder and near her was a hilt that has the base part of the blade. When I looked at her beautiful yet tough face, I am fully sure, even though it may seem crazy, that the woman in my bed is Riven, the Exile.

I continued to walk towards my bed, and to her, to properly figured out why in the heavens she is here.

Blood.

Before I went near her, I saw the red stain on my white covers. Worried, I moved faster, she was bleeding thoroughly from her left side. My state of panic started to escalate quickly and I started to force myself into a state of calmness, this is not the right time to be panicking. Finding my person somewhat composed, I started to flip her to her left, so that I could have a good look on her bleeding wound.

I paled at what I saw, a fragment of her blade was stuck on the left-side of her abdomen. Biting my lip, I made a decision, then I ran to my kitchen where my first-aid kit was located, or at least I remembered it was located.

I shook my head, this is a critical situation without a room for mistakes.

I reached the kitchen and I let out a sigh of relief as I opened the medicine cabinet and took out an already-packed medicine kit. I ran back to the bedroom with haste.

I froze as I saw the already standing figure of Riven, she whipped her head towards me and I slowly showed her my medicine kit, to show her that I want to heal her. Meanwhile, my heart was beating faster on how she will react, especially when she was holding her broken blade on her right hand, while her left hand was clutching her wound.

"W-Who are you?" she asked, even though her voice was quavering I heard the slight tinge of conviction on her tired voice. She raised her blade in warning, her warning was good because even though in her wounded state, I guess that she can still gut me with her broken weapon.

"Uhh . . . my name's Francis, Francis Ablon" I replied awkwardly.

"W-Where am I?" she asked me again.

"That's hard to explain, you're not in Runeterra though, you're in a world called Earth, in the islands of the Philippines, in Cagayan de Oro's condominium named the Loop . . . " I was about to continue explaining when I heard a thump. My eyes widened as I saw Riven on the floor, sprawled for the second time.

I rushed towards her, my worry returning to me as I flipped her again, my mind was set on helping her. With all the strength in my scrawny hands, I lifted her, with so much effort of course, towards my bed. I slowly and carefully placed her on my bed, I looked at her and her wound, she was barely conscious and she was using her consciousness to groan in agony. I touched her left hand, I was mildly surprised when she refused to get her hand off her wound, it seems that her stubbornness is actually true and real.

"If you want to be healed, you would have to trust me" I said in worried yet calm tone, I want her to trust me instead of doubt me, so I could save her without doubt lingering in her mind.

Reluctantly, she moved her hand away from the wound, I grimaced, the wound continued to bleed. I quickly took out a clean and wet handkerchief to clean the blood around the wound, once it was cleaned, I took out a pair of surgical gloves. Why is there a pair of registered surgical gloves on my medicine kit was a question that I don't have an answer.

Wearing the gloves, I decided to do this the hard way, I would have to pull the rather large fragment stuck on her abdomen. Though I knew that she's a tough soldier and champion that can still live with superficial damage on their bodies, I was still worried that she may suffer worse on what I'm going to do. My worry is not without evidence, she was once in a game, and the real world is no game, I'm guessing on how fictional her physique and mentality really is and I decided that it must not be so true in the world I walk.

After a few uneventful seconds, I finally found the strength needed to get the fragment off her body.

I gently touched the stony blade fragment, surprised that it was not slippery from the blood, I'm gonna ask her about that later. I held the fragment with my two hands, breathing in and out.

She yelped when I forcefully dislodged the blade out of her body, I quickly placed the blade aside and took out a sewing needle and lighter. But before that I placed a disinfectant on her open wound so that it would heal quickly.

I quickly sewed her open wound, nothing foolish on my mind, it's just focused on helping the woman that I can't believe is on my bed now. Riven's spasms eased after I removed the fragment, but she was still sweating hard. Taking the lighter, I carefully cauterized her wound, not wanting to place her in more pain.

"Why . . ." she asked in her weak voice.

"You need to sleep, Riven" I said softly, I stood from my bent position and took the first-aid kit with me.

"Answer me . . ." she whimpered.

"I don't know actually, well it's in my nature, I guess" I answered, in truth, I myself am perplexed at my behavior and my actions. I thought that I would just call somebody else to handle my dilemma but no, I solved it myself.

I smirked at that, Francis Ablon, doing the good things without certain benefits for himself. Sounds awfully farfetched.

I stretched and left the room, going to the kitchen to place the first-aid kit. Then it came to me that Riven is sleeping in my bed, so I scratched my head and went to sleep on the sofa. Thank god it's comfortable.

Without me noticing, I drifted into sleep with a very confused mind.

xXx

I woke up with groggy and heavy eyes, not that I'm not used to it though. But I'm really not used to waking up not on my bed, wait, why am I not on my bed. As my brows furrowed at that question, the sound of footsteps made me look at the direction of my bedroom. There I saw Riven standing awkwardly, her right hand holding a piece of the broken door, probably to steady herself, while her left hand was clutching at her left abdomen. I stood up in alarm as I quickly remember last night's weird event.

She looked at me and I looked at her. The two of us were just standing there, staring at each other in a very awkward manner. Riven grimaced that almost made her fall, my eyes widened and I immediately rushed to her, steadying her before she falls down.

"You need to rest" I softly reprimanded her as I guided her back to my bed. Riven grumbled, but she said nothing.

I softly laid her to bed, I'm still not sure if she suffered more wounds other than the one I fixed last night.

Then I heard something that sounded like a grumble and a thunderclap, it was the unmistakable sound of a sound complaining. I slowly turned and looked back at the bed, moving slowly as to not embarrass the suspect of the crime.

Riven was looking away from me, totally ashamed by the actions of her stomach, as evidenced by the slight uneasiness in her face and . . . was that a blush? No that can't be, I must be lacking sleep.

I laughed at her reaction though, nothing boisterous or raucous, just a good old natured laugh from one who experienced that dilemma before. She fixed me with a stare that could kill someone, but I know she's just embarrassed and she won't do such a thing . . . maybe? We're talking about a woman that slugs it out with a big-ass blade in the rift here so don't harass me.

"Don't worry I'll get you something to eat" I said before softly chuckling and exiting the room.

Only for her to yell; "NO!"

I turned around in surprise, she said "NO!" as if what I was doing is a crime.

"No?" I asked curiously.

"No. Y-you've done e-enough already, I-I'm in your debt too m-much" she half-said half-stammered. Which was actually kinda cute. Wait what?

"I told you, it's in my nature, you don't need to repay me" I said with a smile and started to go to the kitchen to begin my cooking.

"B-But in Noxus . . ." she mumbled out loud. At this point I stopped and looked back at her.

"I'm telling you again, you're in Earth, Philippines not in Noxus, Runeterra" I said in a kind tone. Poor girl must have been through a lot in Noxus, which makes me feel really bad for her and feel an unexpected anger from those assholes in Noxus.

I can't play Swain the same way again.

Hearing no other response from her other than a grunt of surrender, I immediately made my way back to the kitchen as I saw her return to napping. As I was walking, I (obviously) didn't notice the conflicted look that Riven has.

Hmm . . . What should I cook today?


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Riven waited for him to come back, he was definitely weird on her standards. But even if last night's events were fuzzy at best she clearly saw his face, a face showing genuine worry over her. At first she thought it was her hallucination, who would want to help a warrior and soldier exiled and disgraced by a country she has sworn to protect? That was the last thing she remembered before she slept in exhaustion.

Imagine her shock when she woke up the next day in a very cozy bed, with a gauze pad on her wound, and a blanket wrapped over her. Overall, she was in a weird room with mixed feelings about the subject of being taking cared of. She knew one thing though, she can't stay long in this place. If what she remembered about last night was correct then she shouldn't abuse the host of this place. That guy has done more than what she deserved in at least a century.

She cautiously stood up, taking time to reacquaint herself with her balance. When she did, she started making way for wherever the exit to this house could be, well, as fast a woman with a healing critical wound could go, which was not as fast as she wanted.

She took a look at the doorway, she was baffled when she saw no door standing on that doorway. Before she could think deeply about it though, she saw a broken and unhinged door besides the doorway.

Did she do that?

She never had the time to think about it and when she looked around the house more, and met the eyes of the owner of this dwelling. He looked as if he had a bad night and has just been awakened, which he probably was. Finding the moment somewhat awkward, she looked the guy over instead, his head was adorned with a short stubble though it didn't bother how he looks like, instead it accentuated his mischievous eyes and high cheekbones. What surprised him, though, is that the guy was not that toned, nor was he magically powerful, Riven can sense magic and she was somewhat surprised when she did not read any magical aura emitting from the guy. Before she could ask out a question though, her eyes became foggy and her mind became woozy.

She began to fall uncontrollably, she waited for the pain of impacting the floor. Not that it will really hurt though, she knew the feeling of falling from taller places, like one of the towers in Noxus of course. So she was surprised when she did not feel the slight pain of impact, or the feeling of the cold floor in her exposed skin.

Instead she heard his voice.

"You need to rest" he was calm and worried, but his voice was also reprimanding. Not like a commanding officer, that's for sure, but it was also reprimanding for Riven. She was surprised again when the guy carried him to the bed she slept at, bridal style, this made Riven blush thoroughly, though she didn't know why and she didn't want to know why. She just hoped he didn't notice her.

That would be too embarrassing for a woman and soldier like her.

He finally laid her on the bed that she took up for the night, though she's very confused as to how the guy carried her to bed with that scrawny body of his. Was it magic? Did she failed to notice something with him. She would think about it when she's in the right condition for that activity. She looked at the guy's back which was finally moving out of this room.

Then her body did something totally embarrassing, a sound was emitted from her stomach, something that sounded like a lion's roar and a thunderclap.

She watched in horror as the guy slowly turned around to look at her. No! She must not meet his eyes, it would be too much for her wounded pride. She couldn't take this any longer, for her, this is embarrassment that would last her a lifetime. She quickly diverted her attention elsewhere, anywhere that's not the direction of the 'gracious' host.

She heard a laugh, a good-natured laugh, not insulting or anything along those lines, it was a genuine laugh of happiness. It was the scrawny guy, he was laughing and he looked nice while laughing. Wait what are you thinking Riven?!

"Don't worry I'll get you something to eat" the guy said and he started to walk away. But Riven has other things running around her mind, and it's making her panic. This guy was doing things for her out of goodwill, it's good for her in the present but what about the future? What if this guy will start asking things in return? And Riven, an Exile with no belongings or homeland could not give him that. No, he has to stop for the good of both of them.

"NO!" Riven shouted with as much conviction she could muster. But if he's doing this without need anything in return, though, then she is very unworthy of it. There are other men and women that need his help, Riven is a soldier that's capable of supporting herself, he shouldn't waste his resources on someone like her.

"No?" the guy asked curiously. Great, she needs to explain it. She hoped that she wouldn't stammer the words out.

"No. Y-you've done e-enough already, I-I'm in your debt too m-much" she still stammered though not as much as she feared, it would show to the guy that she's weak which she's definitely not.

"I told you, it's in my nature, you don't need to repay me" he said with a smile, then started going wherever he was going again.

"B-But in Noxus . . ." she mumbled out loud, she's too confused. Of all the city-states, only Demacia provides this sort of hospitality. But the guy's house did not portray any of the usual Demacian insignia or the unique signature for their craftsmanship. She's really confused about this situation.

"I'm telling you again, you're in Earth, Philippines not in Noxus, Runeterra" the guy said in a soft and kind tone.

After the last word left the guy's mouth, RIven's brain went into overdrive that made her remember all the incidents that happened last night.

She heard the guy's footsteps leaving, but she didn't care at the moment. She was very conflicted about the situation. She decided to take it to sleep hoping that when she woke up, she would finally have the answer for this mystery,

xXx

I suck at this.

I removed the 5th batch of uber deep-fried bacon from the frying pan. First of all Bacon shouldn't be deep fried, I knew that of course! The situation just got worse along the lines of 'heat' and 'fry'. I totally forgot that the reason that I have so many packs of Bacon on my refrigerator is the sad fact that I had given up on cooking these monstrosities long ago.

Funny I didn't remember that simple fact, must be stressed from the events of last night. I shook my head as I opened another pack of bacons, what happened last night seemed really surreal but there's no denying the fact that a white-haired champion is taking a nap on my bed, well at least she looked like she was napping.

I decided to totally focus on my cooking, I checked the heat on the stove, the heat of the frying pan and smelled the bacon to know if it's old or rotten, luckily it was not. I retried my effort on the bacons and went on again, albeit more slowly this time. I don't want to burn this bacon or displease my unexpected guest.

A displeased Riven could wind slash her way out of it. And I love this dorm.

I nearly cried tears of joy when the bacon came out great, it's not blackened or burned in some parts. It looks really good, now I hope Riven knows what a bacon is. Wouldn't want her to become suspicious of poisoning wouldn't we.

I plated the bacon and cooked another set, for me of course. Then I did some scrambled eggs for the both of us, at least I know how to cook that. I gingerly carried two plates in each of my hands, and I look like a freaking waiter. I placed them on my breakfast-in-bed tray and carried them to my occupied room. And boy does it smell good.

Riven was tucked under the covers when I arrived at my room, though she curiously peeked out when I came. Probably because of the fact, that I really brought food, which is really weird she keeps talking about things like 'debts' and 'repay', I guess Noxus doesn't know the meaning of charity or goodwill. They probably don't.

"I brought food" I said as I neared my bed.

She immediately bolted out of the covers, her eyes widened in curiosity and her mouth perked in anticipation. She looks cute and hilarious at the same time!

"What are those?" she asked, my right eyebrow arched as if to say 'WHAT?!' good thing I didn't say that out loud.

"Bacon and Egg?" I said with growing uneasiness as Riven's face was now inches above her plate. Now I remember, she's formerly a soldier so she must be used to eating rations, wait what is she eating in the institute of war?

"I know egg, but I never heard of this 'Bacon'" she said, her eyes still trained at her food.

"Well . . ." I said as I began to place the breakfast-in-bed tray right above her lap, though it didn't touch her in any way.

" . . . Bacon is a processed food, made from beef . . . or was it pork?" Okay now I'm not sure.

I bent my head sideways in curiosity, she's still not eating or even making a move to touch the utensils.

"Umm . . . Why aren't you eating?" I asked curiously.

As if she was asleep and not paying attention, she bolted upright met my eyes as if she didn't expect what I said.

"Umm . . . oh . . . O-okay" she said shyly before she began to eat, she slowly began to eat though her eyes would sometimes wander to me.

Ahh. I know. She's holding herself back.

"Don't hold yourself back, there's no commanding officer here, eat your heart out" I said with a smile. She was waiting for me to say that apparently as she redoubled her effort after the last word escaped my mouth.

I did not notice that I was smiling, until she stopped eating and asked me;

"Why are you smiling?" her tone inquisitive though not hostile.

"Oh . . . Nothing" I nearly mumbled, that would make me more like I was caught red handed or something.

To my surprise she also smiled, though it was brief.

"Why aren't you eating" she asked again with the same tone.

"Nah, I'm good, it's still early, I don't eat this early" I reasoned. Though I was unprepared for her next question.

"So can I eat this?" she asked as she pointed to the other plate in the tray, my eyes whipped at her VERY CLEAN PLATE, good lord she eats a lot. I nodded at her, and she smiled happily and ate it . . . fast.

I stood and made my way to the kitchen, it's high time I start cooking MY breakfast. But before that, it would be good if I checked the e-mail's on my laptop, I was hoping that I wasn't the only one out there who has a Champion in their dwelling so I also want to check the internet.

"Where are you going?" she asked again.

"Uhh . . . Checking my e-mail" I said.

"E . . . Mail?" she asked as if she was trying those new words for the first time. I froze, I haven't fully explained her situation. So I took my laptop and went back to my bed, much to her confusion at the 'square-like hextechery' I brought.

"This, Riven, is a laptop" I said grandly.

Her brows just furrowed in genuine confusion. And I spent the whole morning explaining the ways of Earth to a woman who's pretty much considered an alien, since she's not from our world.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

I woke up with an annoying back ache, makes me wonder what I did in my sleep because all I did yesterday was chat with Riven. She was a quick learner, she absorbed everything that I said about this world, I was not surprised when she mentioned that this world is like Piltover but only bigger and less advanced than the city of progress. Good thing that most of the things in our world is the same at Piltover's or it would be very amusing to see a very curious and ignorant Riven running about my hometown, though it would be very problematic. Due to the fact that she silently and quickly grips the hilt of her blade when she was made fun at, and it would be very difficult talking to the police about a magical slash of wind that can cut almost anything.

Speaking of which, I wonder what happened to the fragments. I totally forgot about it yesterday, which means that I have to look around the house again to find those parts.

I slowly stood from my temporary bed, also known as my couch. My back is hurting, I can burden the pain though, which gave me no excuse to go to work and help Riven.

Work.

That word is so annoying. I forgot that it's Sunday and I'll have to leave Riven alone tomorrow otherwise I'll be suspended from my job, good thing I only got five hours of work on the weekdays or I'll be damned. I'm scrawny and sickly, now you know why I hate working, it's not because I'm lazy or something, in fact I like my job, my body just can't continue that kind of work for long without rest.

I'm mildly surprised when I saw the blade fragments at Riven's(MY) room, it was arranged in a manner like in Riven's ultimate, no it's not formed, it's just arranged that way.

I knelt on the floor and touched them, they were slick yet rough at the same time, I don't understand it, then again, it came from another world entirely run by magic.

"What are you doing?" came Riven's question, she was still wiping her left eye when I looked at her.

"Hmm? Just inspecting your blade" I said simply as I returned to a standing position.

"Why?" she said, looking at me with scrutiny.

"Just curious, that's all" I replied.

"Do you like it?" she asked, this time wistful and curious.

"I find it very, very amazing" I said with a lopsided grin as I looked at the blade fragments then at Riven.

Riven then proceeded to stand.

"Whoa, wait!" I said alarmingly.

"Francis, the wound is in my abdomen, not in my legs" she said while looking at me with sarcastic reasoning in her voice. I really have to watch my tone when I speak, she's mimicking it!

I watched helplessly as she tried to stand, fair enough she could stand though her left hand is still clutching the gauze pad.

She then took the hilt and stood still.

I blinked, what's she trying to do.

"What are you trying to do?" I asked, when I noticed that she has closed her eyes in . . . concentration?

Then the blade fragments became coated in a green and mysterious energy. I'm an idiot, I've seen this many times before but I still asked her, she's forming her blade. Though it looks more awesome here in our world, well especially since you're not looking from an overhead camera.

The blade fragments moved together, and as they did green sparks of energy wander around their edges striking another fragment when it came too close. The blades started to form.

I looked a Riven in amazement but my reaction was quickly lost, she was sweating and her face was crumpled in concentration, she was gritting her teeth as sweat formed and fell across her face.

"Riven?" I asked, worried.

The blades now started to shake violently, the tiny green lightnings struck around the blade uncontrollably, it looks like it's getting overcharged.

"RIVEN?!" I screamed/asked, worried and fearful for her well-being.

Then the fragments's shaking worsened in what I feared would be too much for Riven.

"AAAAAAAAAAAH!" she yelled.

I instinctively dove forward, and my instincts were great at saving my life, as Riven's blade emanated a shockwave that shook my dorm.

I grunted in pain when I hit something hard, I turned and found my left arm struck with the alarm clock. I hope that I can still feel that arm tomorrow.

The room looked like a wreck, one bookshelf fell over while my study table was trashed sideways, good thing it's not wrecked. Though I worry for my laptop.

The blade fragments were stuck along the walls, great. They pierced the walls in varied positions and were still crackling with energy, though the energy was starting to crackle down to nothingness, I hope.

I slowly stood while clutching my left arm, massaging the part where the murderous alarm clock stuck. Good thing I did not use my knife-like alarm clock or this would be much much worse than what I currently got.

Riven was sprawled by the wall beside my bed, the hilt stuck a few inches above her head, which I was thankful for. I quickly rushed to her and checked her for new wounds.

Blood.

I saw blood again, her left hand was bloody and it was holding the wound that I healed two days ago.

I quickly muttered a curse and a prayer, the former for my bad luck and the latter for her health. I knelt down beside her and quickly but carefully removed her left hand. I raised her violet shirt and was repulsed at what I saw.

Her wound was reopened and it looked much more terrible than the last time. The thread was bloody while the sking around the wound was black and probably bruised.

I slowly carried her from the floor to the bed with the most care that I ever mustered in my entire young life.

Then I noticed something else, she was still sweaty. I placed the back of my hand on her forehead and I cursed again, loudly this time.

She's having a very terrible fever, this is not good.

I forced myself to calm down and think, but my panic was quickly surging. At this point I can't heal her like I did in the first day we met.

We need a doctor.

xXx

Shekinah Galvez is currently one of the most renowned doctor in the Philippines, considered a very caring doctor, Shek is more famous for her looks. Shoulder-length hair that accentuated her beautiful face was what one could describe her, but Shekinah paid these descriptions no mind(unless the one who described was handsome) because her job is to heal patients and that description doesn't help her in her job in any bit.

She paced the hall of the hospital she was assigned to with a face full of relief, she has just successfully saved a patient and was both happy and tired for her success. The first thing in her mind was to go home and relax until she can sleep.

She wished, hoped and prayed that their would be no patient anymore, she's tired as it is and the last thing she needs is her telephone ringing while she was sleeping in her house.

"Doc, someone's calling!" a nurse said, Shekinah's face grimaced. Looks like there's no rest for the wicked.

"Assign it to Doctor Rodriguez, I have matters to attend to" and that's not a lie, she has to catalog the files in her office before she can go home.

"But Doc, he asks for you specifically!" the nurse insisted.

"Okay, okay" she replied tiredly, me specifically? That is very very weird for her. And a he, this is confusing, tiresome and suspicious. Who could the guy be?

She gingerly took the wireless telephone that was given to her and raised it to her ears.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Is this Doctor Galvez?" the guy in the other line asked.

"Who am I speaking to?" Shekinah asked back.

"Jeez, Doc its your brother!" the guy in the other line said with a short chuckle. Shekinah's eyes widened, there's only one guy that calls him that, and he's an old friend that's closer to Shekinah's heart than any of her former boyfriends. So close that they really feel that the other is the other's sibling by blood.

"Bro?! Why'd you call? What happened to you?!" Shekinah was happy about her brother calling but if he called her while she's in a hospital then there has to be a problem he wants to resolve with someone he can trust.

"Yeah, about that. I need you here at the dorm. Fast" his tone was gravely serious which was unusual about him, Shekinah knows him as a frustrated joker and sarcastic writer but to her, he's never serious, if he is he'll proclaim that being serious is boring and would just shift his tone to a more jovial one.

"Bro, this is disconcerting and suspicious, what's wrong?" she asked, worried about the state of his brother.

He seemed to pause for awhile, before he replied.

"Sis, do you trust me?" his question caught her off guard.

"Of course, I do" she really does trust his brother, but she wouldn't trust him with the kitchen or a syringe.

"Then come, I need you right now" he said, his voice full of worry. Which was weird even for a weird guy like him.

Before Shekinah could reply, the line went dead. Her brother is really good at guilt-tripping others.

xXx

Shekinah traversed the staircase to his brother's dorm, she didn't want to use the elevator as she made it a mantra to do physical activities as much as possible. So she climbed to the fifth story of a ten story condominium, her brother would sadistically comment that she 'paid the steep price'.

She smiled, his brother's one for bad jokes and dark humor in the old days. Makes her wonder how he's doing nowadays.

She finally reached the fifth floor with pride, another thing that makes her a male magnet is her body. She keeps her body well an in tip-top conditions. Good thing she's always using the lab gown or maniacs would swarm her. She and his brother were odd contrasts, her brother is scrawny, she's fit, she loves physical activities, while her brother's a cunning and avid gamer.

She looked around the hall, looking for what she remembered was her brother's dorm number.

After a few failed and quite embarrassing attempts she finally found out her brother's dorm, room number 112.

She tried to rotate the doorknob for shits and giggles when it really opened, it wasn't locked. She was immediately wary and worried about her brother, he maybe clumsy and forgetful but not in this way, okay sometimes in this way.

She curiously peeked inside, she was surprised when she found her brother pacing back and forth, his face worried. She was both glad and sad that he's look remained the same, glad because it reminded her of the wonderful days long gone, sad because the nostalgia is killing her.

He's still bald and scrawny with those awfully mischievous eyes and high cheekbones, he's the Francis that she used to know and care for.

"Bro?" Shekinah asked, it seemed to stop Francis's train of thought. He looked at her and went straight at her.

"Sis! I need your help!" he said with relief in his eyes, Shekinah was confused. She saw relief, but he certainly looks okay, as okay as a scrawny guy can be though.

He welcomed her to his room, and she was shocked. It looks like his room was ravaged by a hurricane. A very weird hurricane, considering his PC was pierced right in the monitor while his other appliances were okay.

Then she noticed that his bedroom's doorway has no door.

"Bro, what happened?" Her voice inquisitive and serious. Francis stopped and looked at her in the eyes, he then silently lead her to his bedroom.

xXx

I waited for her response when she saw Riven, I mentally prepared myself for her inevitable reaction.

Uber-Shocked Reaction in 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . .

xXx

"HOLY SHIT BRO WHY IS THERE A SEXY LASS ON YOUR BED?!" Shekinah shouted, she didn't want to but her primal instincts urged her to say that.

She saw that the girl was really sexy, has this nice short-cropped white hair that has a bun-like ponytail at the back, she was lightly tanned and looked really, REALLY beautiful.

Her jaw was on the floor when she looked at her brother and the woman back and forth, his brother has his right palm on his face, while the girl . . . actually looked terrible. Shekinah immediately went to work and checked her up, she was feverish and really needs medical attention.

Then she saw her wound.

"Bro, did you stitch this up properly? Because if you say yes, then the reason this wound's reopened is because of a major concussion to her body, which is not possible in your house" she said.

"Well . . . Umm . . . You know how clumsy I can be" if it was another guy he or she would be fooled but not Shekinah, not his sister.

"Bro, why are you lying to me?" Shekinah asked as she stopped what she's doing and looked at her brother straight into the eyes. She knew he was lying, he's a master liar but Shekinah knew him more than he knew himself.

"If I tell you, you won't believe me" he said evenly. So that's how you want to go, eh? You want to keep lying to your sister.

"Try me" she said with kept anger and grim determination. Not a good match for a Doctor.

"Look at the walls" he said, Shekinah was caught off-guard by her brother once again. She thought he would confess that he lied and the more cheesy bits about this girl but no, he surprised her.

She looked at the walls and was perplexed at what she saw, they look like black stones that were emblazoned with writings or something.

"What are those?" She asked with genuine confusion.

"I'll tell you later" he said tiredly and somewhat desperately.

Shekinah stared at his eyes. They both knew that they are stubborn and neither's gonna back down.

"Fine" she said, Francis looked relief when she started to put her skills to good use.

Shekinah's mind was curious and intrigue, in it hangs a question;

_Who could this girl be, that Francis would care for her as deeply as a loved one?_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

Embarrassment is a feeling that I'm no stranger of, being scrawny and bald has it's serious cases of procrastination, from my high school life to my work, procrastination and it's byproduct of embarrassment is something that I once lived by. On all those years though, I developed myself to resist that kind of harm on my mentality, and to this day I'm 100% bully-proof and invincible to procrastination.

But even with my years of experience, I'm still sweating hard just by sitting in front of my non-biological sister, if you want to reason out that it may be hot, my condominium is fully airconditioned. I feel that my sister obtained a doctorate in law instead of medicine due to the amount of scrutiny she's leveling at me, a scary smirk plastered on her face. Sure that smirk could melt guys hearts simply, but to me who knows her twists and turns, it was terrifying considering the fact that her eyes were twinkling dangerously.

Beside me was a recovering Riven, still weak from the things she went through but was determined to hear what her 'savior' has to say. I laughed at the fact that Riven called Shekinah her savior even though she quickly explained that it's a part of her job description as a doctor. Good thing Riven didn't say something about 'Noxus' or it would be harder to explain to a Doctor who believes in cold hard facts.

"Soooooo . . . how long have you two been together?" Shekinah asked as she leaned atop my glass table with her elbows, her head rested on her knuckles. The smirk still on her face.

"W-What?" Riven replied uncomfortably, she sounded unsure how to answer Shekinah's question, I myself felt like that. But with Shekinah, the only thing you could do is answer her question or the situation could turn from bad to worse, especially if you're hiding something.

"Three days, including this one" Riven looked shocked at how I answered but did not say something other than bow down, in what feeling, I don't know.

"Status?" Shekinah continued asking, I saw Riven . . . flinch? When she heard Shekinah say that. I'm not sure.

"Friends" I replied tiredly and with a heavy sigh.

"You sound unhappy, bro, don't you like the situation?" she asked teasingly, obviously implying my implied relationship with Riven.

"No, I'm unhappy with the fact that you're thinking of something without hearing from my or her side" I said plainly, stifling the urge to sound nervous, and resisting the urge to curse. She's my beloved sister, I don't want to be angry with her, though I had a serious case of weird anger issues with Shek, it goes like this, if I get angry with her that anger will quickly dissipate when I remember what she's been through or for some weird reason, when I look at her. To put it simply, I can't be angry at her.

She sighed at my remark, and laid back at the sofa she was sitting at.

"It was a normal day, nothing special, nothing extraordinary. I was going at my usual routines . . ." Riven began, I noticed Shekinah listening at her intently while I'm hoping that whatever she says, even if it may sound unbelievable to Shekinah, it would provide the necessary information to get rid of Shekinah's thinking.

" . . . A league match was underway, and I was assigned to a particular summoner named Poseidrone" I flinched, that was my username in the game. While Shekinah looked increasingly confused.

"The match turned out amazingly, the summoner was experienced and was aware of my strengths and weaknesses" it was obvious with the way she talked that she had no clue that I was the summoner named Poseidrone, though I thoroughly explained to her the other day about the League of Legends being a game. She was angry at first, believing that I was implying that the hardships she and her fellow champions battles was just a game to me, that was until I showed her a video of the game in my laptop, I didn't install the game in my laptop so a video would have to do.

"Until something unexpected happened, the skies became dark and darkness fell across the field of justice, the last thing I remembered was something . . . Bright. The next thing I remembered after was Francis, taking care of me" I was slightly embarrassed by the last part, worse, Riven gave me a cute and earnest smile after, I wish my face didn't go from slightly tanned to grilled red.

Shekinah just gave her a very worried look.

Then she laughed.

Hard.

I sighed heavily at that, I kinda expected that reaction but Riven looked horribly confused as to why my sister is laughing.

"That's funny!" she said before continuing to laugh again.

I looked at Shekinah with pity then at Riven, who had a fierce look of determination about her.

That does not look good.

Riven stood up, not minding the stitches on her abdomen and went to her(MY!) room. My eyes widened when she returned with her half blade. At this point, Shekinah was just chuckling, her laughing fit starting to ease down. Her eyes were focused at the thing that Riven carried.

"This is my weapon" Riven said simply.

Shekinah covered her mouth and did her best to not laugh. All her efforts were null and void, though, as she went up again in a laughing fit.

Riven was starting to look disappointed. She then closed her eyes. Oh no, is she trying it again.

Shekinah stopped laughing when she looked at the green energy that started to form around Riven's blade, it emitted a very powerful-lookung type of energy. I was full of relief when she didn't try to form her blade or things would become dangerous again, and one of the people closest to my heart is here with us, that's the last thing I would like to happen.

"Let me guess, that's the one that caused the concussion" Shekinah said incredulously as she pointed the blade, she obviously doesn't want to be anywhere near the weapon so she's examining it from afar, I don't know how 'examining from afar' works though.

"What? No 'HOLY SHIT BRO' quotes?" I asked teasingly and incredulously, I was honestly shocked that my sister wasn't quite shocked at what Riven did. Glancing at Riven, looks like she's as shocked as me.

"If I said that bro, then I'm sure you would go apeshit and use that opportunity to laugh at me!" She reasoned out while she crossed her arms, a smirk on her face, she's probably thinking that she outsmarted me or something.

I sighed, to my surprise, Riven did too.

"But answering your question, this was the concussion you were looking for, sis" I said, going back to the more urgent topic.

Her eyes widened in surprise, I just threw her a questioning and very confused look.

"You mean, you really did treat her wound properly?!" She asked incredulously.

"Hey!" I replied.

"He did" Riven's voice suddenly added to the mix.

"I don't believe it! You did something right for once!" Shekinah said with an expression that practically shouted 'Unbelievable!'.

As a reply, I just smacked an open palm in my face.

"Well, now that that is settled, what do you wanna do with her?" Shekinah said, not teasingly but obviously without thinking as Riven looked like a tomato with white hair.

"Err . . . I did not mean it that way" Shekinah replied apologetically to Riven. Wait, why does she do that to Riven and not to me? She really likes teasing me.

"I don't know actually . . ." I said, just to move on with the topics and stop embarrassing Riven.

The three of us became silent with that, thinking of things to do, since none of us knew what to do next and it's still 9am in the morning.

"Hey, I got an idea!" Shekinah proclaimed excitedly, with a big goofy grin on her face as she took Riven's hands in hers and hopped up and down.

I have a feeling that whatever she's thinking is something that makes me uncomfortable.

xXx

How did I get into this situation again?

Asked my mind as my back showed it's disapproval in a more felt nature. I felt dread fall over me when Shekinah had an idea, and what I felt was right on target. She introduced Riven to the feminine idea of 'shopping' or in my case 'forced slavery' as I was carrying dozens of shopping bags. Hell, I'm actually balancing myself every time I take a step just because of the absurd number of the I'm carrying.

I did my best-est trying to follow them as Shekinah kept picking clothes of variety for Riven, while the latter also has various reactions to a cloth that my sister picks up. Sometimes it's a blush, most often, it's a wide-eyed look of fear. As evidenced when Shekinah picked up a slim shirt that would obviously showcase her . . . Um . . . Ahh . . . Upper body blessings.

I was glad that I'm not the only one feeling unamused by this little trip though, sooner or later Shekinah would tire of this very tiring thing she calls 'shopping'.

"Bro, you okay there?" Shekinah asked suddenly.

"What do you think?" I asked, sarcasm practically drooling from my mouth as she placed the umpteenth shopping bag on top of the tower of bags that I carried.

"Umm . . . I think this is enough for me?" Riven asked nervously at Shekinah, she looked like she's worried that the things I carry will fall at a moment's notice. Which is probably correct.

Shekinah pondered for a moment, then smiled at me then at Riven.

"Riven, a woman has to have many clothes in one's closet, which is the next thing we would buy for you!" Shekinah explained with that smile in her face.

A closet? Who would she hire to carry the . . .

I paled as I refused to follow that train of thought.

"At least we should eat first!" I complained loudly as my arms tremble in fatigue.

"Of course, bro!" Shekinah said happily, I blinked my eyes.

Did she really just relieved me from my burden?

xXx

I should have known better.

Yes, we eat, and yes we eat in a first-class restaurant. The only problem being the fact that the money she used for buying our food was MINE. Not that I'm greedy, I'm just terribly thrifty and my work doesn't pay as high as Shekinah's who should be the one paying since she's got the higher paycheck.

I drummed my fingers on the fine wooden and lacquered table, my impatience and hunger starting to act up. Shekinah was doing something with her phone, with Riven curiously peeking at the device my sister was holding.

"Is this what you called a cellphone?" She asked me.

"Yeah, it's a device for communication just like you guessed" I replied, I oftentimes forget that Riven is pretty much an alien to this world and therefore is very ignorant of many things, good thing she asks me or Shekinah and not go around and go apeshit on cameras. I shrugged, that's not a nice thought.

Riven did a very good job at keeping her ignorance and curiosity in check while we were in the mall though and I was proud at her for that. Proud because I practically did a one day crash course through everything that there is in this world, it's not easy good thing my work demands me to learn a lot.

"Bro?" Shekinah asked, I was mildly surprised that she sounded serious this time. Hey, after all we've been through in this mall, you can't possibly blame ME.

"Yeah?" I replied.

"I'm sorry but I have to go to the hospital . . ." She said sadly, the feeling is mutual though. This is the first time I've seen my sister in almost three years, I was actually lucky and blessed that I knew the hospital she's currently working in, for I'm sure that her cellphone number has changed many times since we last met.

Riven also looked sad, well I can't blame her, Shekinah is really fun to be with even though she puts me in the most extreme of extremes at time. Plus the fact that she saved her, instantly makes Shekinah a dear and close friend of Riven's. Though I hope she won't be thinking of 'debts' soon because that kind of thinking is very very annoying for guys like me and my sister, we help when we can, not because we're expecting a reward.

"Sis, wait." I said right before she stood of off the wooden stool that she was sitting at.

"Hmm?" she asked absentmindedly as she took her bag and her medicine kits.

"Your number" I replied, she chuckled.

"Just like old times, eh?" she asked, both of us in nostalgia and melancholy over the old days.

"Yeah, just like old times" I replied with a smile.

"Bye bro, bye Riven" she said before she gave the two of us a kiss on the cheeks. Riven stiffened when my sister's lips touched her skin, obviously not used to that kind of showing of friendship.

"She's . . . Very nice" Riven said while she caressed the cheek in which Shekinah kissed.

"No, she's a slave driver" I said before heavily sighing, which earned a friendly punch from Riven. But even how friendly the punch is, it still hurt, I'm scrawny remember.

"Ouch! You do know how frail I am right?!" I complained which made her laugh, it was a beautiful sound that, her laughter.

"You complain too much" she ventured after chuckling.

"It's a part of my pleasing personality" I said with a smile.

"Then you're very hard to please" she said sultrily, her voice nearing the point of purring, my eyes widened and my cheeks became red at what she just said.

"Hah! I got my revenge!" she proclaimed victoriously, I simply did a facepalm, I forgot that I've said many things that made her feel like what I feel now; Embarrassment.

Then the food came. And my senses were on high alert, knowing all too well how Riven eats. The food was actually good for three people, or for one fat guy or . . . well yeah . . . A Riven.

The waiter placed a tray of potato slices, three pork steaks with rice, a big pitcher of iced tea, a very good looking grilled fish, three grilled pork chops and three fried ice creams. Riven's eyes glazed over the food, as if she's unsure which among the meat category will she eat first. Taking the opportunity made by her momentary distraction, I quickly snatched a pork steak meal, only for my hand to be swatted away as Riven took that one, though I returned to my place in the table with the pork chop meal and the potato tray.

I started to eat, never taking my eyes off Riven. Who started to eat like a monster, I made a mistake of looking down at my phone, then when I looked back, Riven had two plates shiny and clean.

"You should eat more, you know, you being scrawny and all" she said right before taking a bite at a pork chop.

I sighed, "How could I eat more when you're hogging all the food?" I pointed out.

I saw Riven stop suddenly, she looks like she's embarrassed by her actions. Then she gingerly pushed a plate with steak towards me, I blinked then I started digging in the plate.

"Sorry . . ." she said in a tiny voice, god it sounded cute.

"You don't have to be you know, and I'm not actually wanting this one" I replied as I pushed the steak back at her.

Then she had this determined aura all over her, which made my eyes scrunch in curiosity.

"No, you will eat that" she said simply and . . . Dangerously!

She started toying with the knife and the fork, flipping the two of them as if she's ready to throw them at any moment, which she probably is.

In simple words, I'm scared shitless and I started to dig in the food.

Unknown to me, Riven smiled when she saw me eating as fast as her.

xXx

Shekinah laid down her binoculars, a smile in her face as she saw the two talk and squabble.

She's absolutely happy for her brother.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

I woke up with not only a back ache but also a stomach ache, looks like I ate too much and relieved little in the toilet. It also looks like my back's still not used to sleeping in a sofa and not in my still-occupied bed.

I stood up groggily and went to the kitchen, it started to become a daily routine for me as much as my everyday work and all that . . .

WORK!

My eyes widened as I remembered what day today is, I bolted out of the sofa and immediately ran to my room, taking the towel that was propped up in a stand, then I sprinted out of my room and into my bathroom but not before noticing that Riven was not in her(MY!) bed, I didn't dwell on that thought as my mind is solely focused on getting to work as fast as possible.

I made a mad dash to bathroom, but once I got there I stopped in my tracks that I almost would have tumbled down if I was a little faster.

I stopped because of the sound of the shower turned on and the silhouette that's in my bathroom. You see, my condominium has this shower room in the bathroom, and like most shower rooms it was also made from frosted glass and steel wiring, good thing it was frosted glass though.

Or I would be seeing Riven's naked figure.

My eyes widened at what I saw and I instinctively turned around, even if the glass was not that clear, that damned frosted glass still gave . . .hints. I have a gentleman's dignity and I won't peek on a woman . . . maybe a little bit?

I shook my head quite forcefully and slapped it twice, I should not be thinking of such dirty thoughts!

Then I heard a door open.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" a very feminine scream rattled my ears.

Then something struck my head rather painfully, which immediately me sent straight towards the floor, my eyes closing as my body rushed to hug the floor.

xXx

Riven blinked, then her eyes widened in shock and fear when she realized what she's done.

She was just taking an early morning bath since she doesn't want to bother Francis by taking a bath later, and even in those kind of situations, she knew that Francis could still find an appropriate complain concerning that.

She was very perplexed about the prospect of a shower, many of the female champions actually has one in their rooms but Riven preferred to take a bath at the river flowing near the summoner's rift, so she doesn't need a shower.

Unfortunately, Riven can see no River near or far from their condominium and when she asked her host, Francis just openly laughed at her face. That earned him a punch of course.

She was taking it easy, when she found the knob, that made her grin happily at her short-term success. She was just wearing a towel going to the shower room, and she placed the said towel at a hanging rack outside the shower room, she didn't even register the fact that someone could see her figure across the clear yet frosty glass of the shower, how would she register it? She's taking a bath at a RIVER bare and NAKED. So far, the perverts that tried to peep on her were either dead or had permanent damage on their body, particularly at the nether regions.

Riven had fun at the shower room, she has never used it before and thought of WHY she has never used it before. She had concluded that simple things in this world are sometimes luxuries in Runeterra, overall she was glad that she has experienced this things here on earth.

But when she opened the door . . .

All that gladness was gone . . .

And the pepper-like red coloration of Riven's embarrassment returned, and this time with both feminine AND masculine effect. Feminine, because of the girly scream that escaped her mouth and masculine because of the instinctive roundhouse kick that sent Francis flying while spinning and finally sprawling at the glass tiles of the main bathroom.

Riven immediately rushed at Francis, he was sprawled spread-eagled, quite comically, at the floor. His head was lolled at the side and he was soundly unconscious, the first thing that Riven did was to check his pulse, she let out a sigh of relief when she found out that he's pulse was still on, even if a bit, though she recognized that pulse among sleeping people. She would have many problems if his pulse was weaker, she didn't know this place, she doesn't feel like going out and most importantly, she doesn't want her savior angry at her, Francis's sister could be a mean one if she wants to, as obvious on how she could yank her brother around. Riven needs to learn how to do that.

Riven's train of thought was stopped when the guy she just whooped stirred. It was a simple jerk of his head that made Riven notice that he's starting to gain consciousness. So she started to shake him to wake him up faster, when one eye was opened, Riven sighed, one made of relief.

"Are you alright?" Riven asked nervously, she did kick him forcefully.

"Are you an angel?" Francis asked, Riven blinked, then blushed. It looks like Francis is in a daze. But before she could reply to that question, Francis's eyes widened and as suddenly as he was awake, he fell back to sleep again, but this time, with a large amount of blood coming out of his nose.

He's nosebleeding?

Then Riven felt air on her skin . . .

. . . Her bare skin . . .

She screamed with all femininity she could muster.

On that day, Francis' neighbors silently pondered the masculinity of Francis, as they heard a very feminine scream escape his condominium. Not even thinking of the possibility that there's a girl inside there.

No, not even a thought of it.

xXx

I woke up with a headache. And something in my nose, my head was swimming and my eyes were looking through inversion.

It looks like today's menu special is dizziness.

I stood up from where I was laid at, my senses coming back to me bit by bit as if I'm hard on booze. I blinked my eyes open and close, trying to shrug away the blurry vision away from my eyes.

"Y-You're awake!" a female voice said somewhere beside me.

I whipped my head to the direction of the voice and was mildly surprised to see a girl with white hair looking at me with deep worry. Her arms rested on the bed as if she was sleeping there at that position . . . Which she probably is . . .

What was her name again? Uhhh . . . Riven . . . Yeah it's Riven.

"Of course I am" I grumbled as I rubbed at my forehead. Then she punched me in the arm harder than usual, I was about to say a snappy retort when I noticed that her head was hung down, and her shoulders were in a motion of up and down.

She's crying.

I looked at her silently, she was really sobbing. I hate it when people cry, it makes me wanna do it too.

"Come on now . . ." I don't want to see her crying, so I started consoling her. Sadness is an emotion that I know too well, and it's something that I don't want to see on other people, I've been through the ups and downs of life and sadness and loneliness is the killer combo of the downsides of life, I can't stand watching other people being sad and lonely, I will have to do something about it to at least get them off that emotion.

That's why I hugged Riven. She was an exile, she lived her life alone and pretty much without friends, just because of an act of patriotism and camaraderie.

Aside from that fact, everybody needs a hug and she's no exemption.

I let her cry as much as she's able which is quite long, it looks like she really was worried.

She was worried about . . . me. I smiled as I shed a single tear, and continued to hug her.

"What happened?" I asked as kind and as sincere as possible, this is no time for my usual tone, as obvious as it is.

Riven disengaged from the hug slowly, and after composing herself and wiping the tears from her eyes, she spoke;

"I roundhouse kicked you" was the words that went out of her mouth.

Sometimes, a person's mind can't fully register what it's senses sense, even if it was stuffed into their mind many times already. There's also a case wherein the brain simply refuses to accept what the senses say and go batshit crazy.

I happened to be in the latter state of mind.

And when I finally understood the four words she said to me, well the reaction was surprising.

My eyes widened and my skin paled as I fully remembered EVERYTHING my eyes had seen.

And with that, my best friend called sleep came to visit me again.

xXx

Riven was took by surprise when Francis hugged her, it was certainly an expression she did not receive often, and by that she means that she was NEVER hugged before, even in runeterra. The concept was fairly foreign to her.

But it was also . . . comforting, she felt that she could hold on to that hug forever, and even if her face was crimson when Francis was hugging her, she didn't break away from contact, because even if she would adamantly deny and would not admit it staunchly she can't lie to herself and say that she didn't like it, because she did.

It was probably one of the happiest moment on her life, and it didn't involve soldiery.

She was thankful to the divinities that watched her for the blessing in the form of Francis.

She then grinned.

Francis would laugh at being called a blessing before he would stroke his ego by using that phrase.

xXx

"So you mean to say that you handed my ass on a silver platter with a very awesome roundhouse kick?" I asked, slightly disturbed and mostly amazed.

"That's one way of putting it" Riven replied as she sipped on her coffee.

I was on my bed, only because Riven wouldn't want me on that couch, when I tried to argue she threatened to make me feel how awesome her roundhouse kick could really be without limits.

I'd rather be on my bed, I've felt the awesomeness of her roundhouse kick and it's an awesomeness that I don't want to feel again, even if Riven said that she would make it wea-I mean-less awesome for me.

I don't trust her or my body to handle that kind of awesomeness.

Then Riven made coffee for the both of us, which I was surprised at, there were coffee on runeterra? But I was more surprised that Riven knows how to make coffee, and it's good too!

When I asked her how she knows, the reply I got was a painful arm before she said;

"It was once an inside joke among the soldiers that you'll die without coffee . . . And they did" Riven started of jovial about the memory, then it quickly soured when the survivor's guilt came in.

My face scrunched up in sympathy at her, she's been through things that I would balk out at the first chance, and she survived it. The greatest thing that marks her is her survival on Singed's chemical barrage.

And there goes another champion that I would NEVER play again.

"Riven, wherever they are now, I'm sure they're at peace" I said with a smile, trying to ease her feelings on the subject.

She replied with an uncertain smile at me as both of us drank the coffee.

"You Noxians and your filthy beverages are no match for DEMAAAAACIA!" I said with the best 'Garen' imitation I could muster.

Riven laughed at that, and I smiled, it's good to see her laughing.

"He really does sound like that!" Riven exclaimed before continuing to laugh, which was kinda conserved and cute for a badass soldier.

She's beautiful.

I stiffened, it looks like there's more to me and Riven that meets the eye, but even then I don't want to assume. This thoughts give me mixed feelings about Riven, on the plus side I really care for her, but does she feel the same way?

I asked that to myself as I smiled at Riven getting my empty cup of coffee so that she can wash it at the kitchen.

Nevertheless, wherever this road may take me. I would gladly walk through it without out shortcuts.

Because no matter how I put it . . .

. . . I'm in love with a video game character and I'm happy with that . . .


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

An open palm smacked my face for the umpteenth time this day, make no mistake, it's not Riven's powerful hand, it was actually mine. Now as to why my palm was on my face was a question I would gladly answer.

Considering that I became absent for work this day because of the little event that happened in the bathroom, I decided to teach Riven some things I thought that she has no idea. When I told her that, she was thinking of food, and that was my first facepalm for this day, when I told her no though, well, it's not her palm on my face, but rather her fist. My cheekbone still hurts.

And since there's nothing fun or knowledgeable things in the comforts of my house, we decided to go out and take a small tourist trip in this small city of mine. She was happy about the prospect of course, which is good since I don't want another of her unhappy punches.

"Hey, what should I wear?" she asked from my room, so that's why she's taking quite a time on staying there.

"How should I know? I ain't a girl remember?" I replied back, she was silent for several moments before she went out of the room.

My eyes widened when I saw what she wore.

She was wearing a simple silk dress that looked absolutely perfect on her, in other words, she looks ravaging.

I am very well aware that I'm blushing.

"Well?" she asked while turning around, trying to get a comfortable view of her dress in all angles.

"While you do look absolutely stunning, I think you should change your dress" I commented.

She blushed at the first phrase and was immediately curious at the next things I said.

"Why?" she asked curiously.

"Because, you would attract to much attention" I replied. She blinked once, but her curiosity was still in there based from what I see on her face.

"What's the problem with that?" she continued.

I sighed heavily before I decided to explain what is on my mind. She really needs to pick up her 'How to be a Female' textbook, not that she has one though. Looks like Shekinah has another job to do other than being a doctor.

"Riven, in this world, men are very sexist and egotistical-"

"Like you?" she interrupted with a smirk.

"Haha very funny, bunny" I retorted, thinking of a nickname on the fly, thinking about it though, I'm gonna stick with that one for fun times.

"Bunny?" she asked, looking a little bit insulted.

"Yes, bunny, now let me continue, as I said, men can be very overbearing on females, and it comes to me as a fact that when you go out with that kind of dress, men would come over to you as if you're one big magnet, and trust me, many men would love to . . . You know . . ." I said, ending with a hint as I'm not too comfortable with saying those kinds of topics.

She remained silent for a moment.

"Okay I get it, but why bunny?" it looks like she really feels something about that nickname.

"In the game, you were known for your Broken Wings skill and your ability to _hop_ over to your enemy, so yeah bunny" I explained somewhat in a geek-like manner. I lied though, the true root of that nickname was her Battle Bunny skin, which I'm embarrassed to ask her if it was really real.

"Okay" she said simply before returning back to her room.

This was the start of my current dilemma as, like my face palms, this is the umpteenth time of a change of dress for her. We really don't get along on her dress selections, some were good but out of place and some were outright gross, though I didn't say it out loud for obvious reasons.

"How about this one?" Riven said unhappily and somewhat boringly.

I was currently reading a book when she said that and when I looked back I was surprised, she wore a simple looking violet long-sleeved dress and black jeans that accentuated her dress which in turn accentuated Riven's figure. I immediately stop that train of thought though, who knows where it goes? But I'm sure it's not good.

"In layman's terms, you look simply beautiful" I commented as I laid down the book and stood back up, I noticed her slightly blushing at that one before she had this look that she remembered something. Then she playfully punched me in the arm.

"Ow! What was that for?" I complained.

"I had a dress combination like this one awhile ago!" she complained back as she crossed her arms and pouted.

How cute.

"A blue t-shirt and a blue jeans combo is something that's laughable, Shekinah would outright say it's gross, and she's the fashionista not me" I said.

She sighed at that then did a simple 'hmph' and went into my kitchen, probably to get something to eat.

I myself am wearing a very casual combination, light blue hoodie t-shirt and gray jeans for bottoms and a sneaker the same as Riven's, though hers were colored violet and mine was a contrast of white and blue.

I returned the book back to it's respective holding and waited by the door, only bringing my wallet and my phone to this short trip. I took care of the money I brought, I do not want to be on another shopping spree, though I think didn't get infected by my sister . . . Maybe?

I never concluded anything as I saw Riven impatiently waiting for me at the doorway, realizing that I just spaced out, I grinned sheepishly at her as we went out of my condo.

Pretty much hoping that this little escapade of ours would be okay for the both of us.

xXx

Riven really is definitely a weird specimen of a woman, right after we got out of the condominium and walked to the nearby mall, as the condominium I owned is just a few steps away from a mall. When we were at home or with Shekinah, this woman shows real feminism, always a little bit flustered, easily embarrassed and teased and generally curious, but on trips like this, well let's just say she shifted to second gear.

Her eyes were piercing and her look was calm yet with an air of determination in it, as if she's ready for something to go boom at any moment.

"Why the battle-ready face?" I asked and teased at the same time as we paced up the elevator.

She blinked once and gave me a look, the same on she gave me on the first time we met, that look of forlorn and silent determination.

"Why not?" she asked back as she returned her gaze forward. I sighed heavily at her antics, with Shekinah or at home she's more loose, but with me, doesn't she trust me?

"Ease up, would you?" I said right after chuckling and just before lightly punching her like how she usually does, though I'm sure hers is more forceful than mine's. It seems like she eased up a bit, because I noticed her shoulders hunker down and by the fact that she punched me back.

"Come on let's eat!" I told her as I walked past her up ahead of the escalator.

"But it's not yet lunch" she replied with confusion, not even quickening her steps.

"Oh, bunny, don't tell me you don't want to satisfy your tummy!" I replied with an air of poetry as I rhymed.

She was silent for a moment.

"Fine, you win!" RIven said nonchalantly, though it's obvious by her body language and how she avoids eye contact with me that she's, in fact, excited about the prospect of eating.

I led the curious woman to a waffle stand, and when her nose picked up on the distinct smell of a belgian waffle, she returned to the Riven I know back at the house.

Now you see, Belgian Waffles is my favorite snack, it's baked in a waffle dough and in it could either be chocolate or other types of sweets. It's perfect for me, and if it means it's perfect for me, then its heavenly for a food 'enthusiast' such as Riven.

Her facial expressions while eating the delicacy were priceless!

"This is delicious!" Riven said in between mouthfuls of her Belgian Waffle, she indulged herself with the basic chocolate flavor as opposed to my suggestions of strawberry, she adamantly refuses to be waived away from chocolate. She made it clear with a punch.

"Obviously" I replied back right after taking a bite at my waffle, who like Riven's is also chocolate, though mine is dark chocolate. I just like the small tinge of bitterness in it.

Looks like she really loves the waffle as she didn't even punch me for what I said. Hell, I think she doesn't even acknowledge my presence. It looks like what matters is the waffle and herself, I sighed, I've been to that stage before.

"You done yet?" I said as I stood up, crumpling the piece of paper that acts as a way to hold the waffle and throwing it at a nearby trash bin. She looked at me curiously before finishing her waffle and doing the same thing that I did with the paper.

"Where are we going now?" Riven asked, I was about to answer that when I noticed something on her face. There's chocolate beside the left side of her lip, what a messy eater. I simply raised my hand up to her face and wiped that chocolate away. I saw her eyes widened when she saw my hand rising up, but was surprised when all I did was wipe the chocolate stain on her face. I wiped the chocolate stain on my jeans and looked at her with a teasing grin.

"What a messy eater you are" I commented, Riven looked thoughtful for a moment before a quick punch to my arm made me eat my grin and grunted. She simply giggled at that, I wonder how she knew the art of giggling, considering she's a male by heart. Okay that came out wrong. Maybe influence made by other champions? Ahri's perhaps? Now that's one thing worth thinking and investigating.

Actually, now that I look back on her tendencies and actions in the few days that we're together, the background lore provided by the game is seriously flawed. I mean, yeah, there's this serious, battle-hardened badass named Riven but there's also another side of her that just wants to have a friend and know how to live as normal people do. Considering that the lore is now pure fiction, I think that there's something that happened in her city-state that made her assume the stalwart facade that she continued to assume in her exile.

I was stopped from thinking further by the woman that was the subject of my thoughts, and how else would Riven do that? Pain of course, she punched my right arm interrupting me from my reverie.

"What?" I asked with a grumble.

"I said, where are we going now?" Riven said, slowly letting the words out of her mouth as if I was a baby. When she saw the pissed-off expression present in my face, she grinned and cracked her knuckles as if saying, 'You can try, but you'll know what happen'. Okay there's another aspect to this woman, a playful, teasing and slightly sadistic woman that loves to torment other people . . . Er . . . Maybe only me.

I should limit her exposure to Shekinah or it will be a serious problem for me.

"Riven, do you know what a cinema is?" I asked her while rubbing my pained arm. Her reply was a very curious look, a lopsided grin adorned my face.

This should be fun.

xXx

My brows furrowed in concentration as I stared at the tarpaulins in front of me, there were four posters representing four movies in each cinema and I'm doing what people who don't plan their movies do. I'm undergoing the most crucial stage of movie watching.

Picking a movie.

"What movie do you want to watch?" I asked Riven, I did not look at her though as I'm still scrutinizing every poster I saw.

"Umm . . . What exactly is a movie?" she asked.

I sighed, I didn't explain it as comprehensively as possible again, I stood from my crouched position, why am I crouched? I was looking at the actors and actresses of the movie, what were you thinking?!

"Bunny, a movie is something like a play, were people perform in front of us though it's not really them as it was only a visual representation of them" I explained.

I look at her ponder and digest that bit of information for a short while.

"So it's like the video that you showed me in the gadget called laptop?" she asked, I blinked once and twice until I slapped my face with an open palm.

"Yeah you're right" I said with a sigh, I could have explained it as simple as that. Why didn't I think about it?

"How about this one?" Riven asked me, she was pointing at the poster for the second cinema.

I took one good look at it, and immediately said; "No"

"No?" she asked.

"That my dear Bunny, is the Fault in Our Stars, my sister cried over that book at least five times and now it has a movie adaptation, I imagine it to be worse" I explained, my hands crossed on my chest.

"Hmph, Try me" she replied, confident and boastful. She gave me a very challenging grin, I returned the favor with a devious grin.

She's about to eat that grin.

xXx

I won.

I gave her another tissue paper for her to wipe her tears. About halfway through the movie, she was starting to get emotional, at the climax, a single tear escaped each of her eyes and at the part of the eulogy of the main male character, hot tears are free flowing out of her amber eyes.

"What did I tell you?" I said after sighing and giving her another sheet of tissue paper, where I got the tissue papers? There's a stand at the second cinema that sells tissue paper, they sure know how a movie goes.

"Don't." Riven warned, her voice steely yet a little bit shaky, a finger of accusation pointed at me while her other hand was wiping her tears and looking away from me.

I sigh at that, looks like the movie really pierced her on the inside.

"Come on, it's time for dinner" I said kindly as I tapped her shoulder, and for those of you who're curious I'm standing at 5'10 while Riven's about 5'7. She shrugged for a moment then she gave me her wet tissue paper, which I immediately threw to a nearby trash bin, she then looked at me, face full of accusation and determination as she crossed her arms.

"What? I warned you" I said right before raising my arms as if to say 'It's not my fault' and assuming an innocent look. Which is pretty hard considering my face doesn't really look innocent, more like batshit crazy than pure innocent.

"Food." she said simply but with the still-determined outlook on her.

I instinctively gulp, when Riven has a look of determination like that it certainly and surely means that she cannot be denied.

"Of course, of course!" I said with a surrender like gesture as I raised my arms again, she then had this toothless grin that probably meant that she is and will be satisfied.

Looks like my wallet's also gonna be crying.

xXx

Food can really dampen depression.

I have finally concluded that philosophy today, and the one that made me confirm my thoughts about it was the spectacle in front of me.

In simple words; Riven is eating.

Just minutes ago, she was silent and depressed about the outcome of the movie. I made it clear that it's not my fault though, and she gave me a punch for that. Good thing she's still in the mood for abusing me.

We're eating in a pizza parlor, as she curiously pointed out the parlor and asked me what food they're making, when I said pizza she just said 'what?' and here goes another ignorance-removing trip for her as I let her taste how great a pizza can be.

And so here are we, eating in a pizza parlor, she was silent as she ate but not silent because she's angry or something. She's actually silent because of the pure bliss she's experiencing from eating the pizza.

Even if this world is the same as piltover's as Riven described it, the rest of runeterra was governed by all things magical and medieval.

I blinked.

Wait a minute, if Riven was transported from her world to ours, it is highly possible that there are other champions sprouting around the world. God I'm so stupid, I didn't even open the internet to search for events such as the one that happened to me on that faithful night, there could be others who are experiencing the same things I'm experiencing now.

Looking at Riven eating, maybe not. But this is a serious matter that I should look up to, and maybe . . . I can help Riven go back to her world.

But . . .

No, I must not be selfish nor must I think rashly. I will ask her if she wants to go back to her world, and I will help her no matter what her answer is.

xXx

"Target is with bald scrawny male, approximately 25 years old" he said over the radio as he readjusted his jacket, he was situated opposite of the restaurant where his target and the guy with him was eating on.

"_Is it the same guy we've seen for the last couple of days" _the voice over the radio said.

"Affirmative" he replied back. There was silence on the other line as he continued looking at his targets.

"_Keep an eye on them but don't engage, the council wants to gauge the situation first" _the voice over the radio said.

He grunted his distaste before saying; "Affirmative"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

My head was rested over my left hand as I used my other hand to operate the mouse pad of my laptop. It's 9:00 in the evening and Riven's sleeping, I was also about to get my sleep but I simply can't close my eyes and wake up in the next daylight without searching something vital on the internet.

I've just opened my laptop and I'm waiting for the start-up process to finish, I'm gonna go to a technician one of these days, my laptop's past it's prime. When the start-up was done I immediately went to the web, to a certainly popular search engine and typed 'League of Legends Champions', I then pressed the search button. As my internet connection is fairly strong, even in the Philippines, it only took a short while for the search results to pop up on the laptop's screen.

I blinked my eyes when I saw no article that's fairly out of the ordinary, of course there's the wiki, the main site itself and even the sites that give guides of the game, but I didn't see something like a champion going out of a computer screen.

Baffled but not without hope, I continued scrolling down over the articles which was many since the game is the most played MOBA in the world. Yes my friends, it beat DOTA 2.

I was about to close the web browser when I saw a thread that looked quite intriguing.

It said;

'_Ever heard of LoL Champions coming to life? I saw someone that certainly looked like Ashe the other day' _

The article was linked to an online forum, of course some forums can never be trusted but I'm curious and the fact that what was the main topic in the forum happened to yours truly, well I have to click it.

The forum promises to be a disappointment though, as the one who started the forum was the only one who made sense, others were just criticizing or outright bullying the guy, thinking that he's making things up. I kinda feel sorry for the guy, not just because he's being bullied but also because that he didn't know how _true_ Ashe really is.

I skimmed and scanned through the forum, remembering the quirks and the bloggers that doesn't give helpful information while also reading quickly on those that made sense. So far, the only things I got were sightings, all maybe possibly true but because it's the internet and one cannot be fully sure when we're talking about mankind's greatest and worst invention.

I was starting to lose hope or, to put it simply, get bored when I struck on something that showed a picture of a young Filipino guy, approximately seventeen, with a certain character from the League of Legends. They were by the sea, with the guy standing by the seashore, smiling while the champion was on the waters with only half of her body seen over the waves. I don't doubt it, that is a picture of the Tidecaller; Nami or otherwise known as the League of Legends resident mermaid.

Now that my interest is rekindled, I thoroughly read the comments of the section. Hoping that there was another guy out there except for me and this guy with Nami that commented on the picture as to say that he can relate or something. I was greeted with disappointment when I found out that the comments section for the picture was disabled, I groaned my obvious lack of joy at the screen, why could the comments section be disabled for that picture?

I checked the site, finding ways to disable the disable for the comment, I was surprised when I found none, especially because the website did not give forum members the ability to write a pretty sophisticated account, I knew because I wasted my time creating one.

This is weird, how could someone disable the comments on a site that does not have the ability to disable comments.

Confused, I decided to refresh the whole page and look back at the picture again. I stiffened in surprise when I found that the picture was also disabled.

What the fuck is going on?

I refreshed it again, hoping that it was just a small error within the system. But it was still the same, the picture was still something struck my mind, I went to the original topic and added 'real' on the search thread, there were many articles on that but it is the same as I feared. All pictures were disabled or otherwise removed.

I gulped as my mind pieced the puzzle pieces together. Realizing that there is someone out there removing articles concerning the phenomenon that I, and hopefully a few others, are experiencing.

I quickly took my cellphone which was standing beside my laptop, quickly dialed a number belonging to a close friend of mine and also an avid gamer of the League of Legends and on top of that has a vivid addiction to conspiracies and weird phenomenon. My friends are awesome like that.

"Hello, Gian?" I said.

"Yeah, my man?" the guy from the other line asked back.

"Have you ever heard of League champions coming to life?" I asked, I hoped I didn't sound like a fool.

There was silence on the other line.

"Not here on the phone, I'm going to your house tomorrow" Gian said seriously. Like I said he's addicted to conspiracies.

xXx

Riven stretched her arms as she woke up, wiping her eyes as she removed the sheets that covered her. Another day in paradise, she walked out of her bedroom and into the living room he was surprised to find a meal in the small glass table of Francis' condominium. It was placed atop a tray and was composed of a plated egg with the bacon that Riven is really fond of, then there's a coffee aside with the utensils.

Riven approached the glass table and was surprised to see a note beside the coffee mug, she picked it up and quickly read it. It said;

_Dear Bunny,_

_Good morning, if you're reading this then I'm probably already gone and the meal was on the glass table. I'm early this time for work, I don't want another incident like what happened yesterday, especially since it was painful for me :D but anyway, I'll be back later by say . . . 6:00 in the evening more or less. Your lunch is atop the refrigerator and everything in my house is for you to use! Just don't break anything okay? Well, see ya later Bunny!_

_-Francis_

Riven frowned at his use of that nickname, it really ticks her off especially because of the bad memories it represented. If anyone was here, they would see the determined look in Riven's face.

He must not know what that nickname means to me, it will further hurt my ego as a soldier and my pride as a dignified woman. Bunny . . . It reminds her of the battle bunny outfit that she once wore for Hallow's Eve. Just the thought of it makes her cringe.

She cleanly folded Francis' letter and slipped under the tray as she took the spoon and fork and began to eat. Francis really is a good cook, he just doesn't give himself credit. Now that she thought about it, she noticed that Francis never really gives himself true credit in anything he's done, well there may be other activities that he takes pride in but she imagined that none of them were physical activities, he has this erudite aura that surrounds him and a very peculiar and weird vibe on top of that. Not a good combination.

He's like the mad chemist in some ways.

Riven abruptly stopped eating, and in her heart burns an anger that cannot be quenched.

Singed.

That name is the one and only cause of her exile and the problems that went on in her life. Everyone in her squad and in her cadre was erased because of a single emboldened action of the madman, for a time, her anger was the only thing that remained of the woman known as Riven. It intensified when her pleas was rejected by the spineless politicians that sit atop Noxus's ruling order.

Only the excommunication that removed her from Noxus was the only thing that erased her fury, but being transformed it into a cold yearning for vengeance. For days and weeks and months she traveled an unending road, never returning back home but was also prohibited from entering the city of the cause of her anger. The mad chemist was wise to stay in his city for the thing that would happen to him if Riven saw her would be nothing in his maddened expectations, it would be much much more painful.

She didn't notice that she was crumpling the fork that her hand was holding, she frowned at that and went to the kitchen to get another one, she would have a good time reasoning with Francis about why his fork was trashed thoroughly.

She shook her head, she's in another world now, and so far she hasn't found a way in returning to runeterra. Might as well live on what this world has to offer.

After eating and cleaning her breakfast, she went back to her room and took a towel. But before she went to the bathroom she stiffened, remembered what happened yesterday and thoroughly convinced herself that it was an accident and it won't happen again today because Francis is somewhere else doing his work.

She hadn't thought about his work though, she always hear him complaining about his work, but other than that she doesn't know what his job is, on the contrary, she _probably_ doesn't know the jobs in this world.

She went back to the room and wore a casual outfit, a green shirt that has a complicated design of a rose encircling a sword. And a very short pants that Shekinah called 'shorts'. It was bearing of the name though, because it didn't even reach Riven's knee. She was a bit disturbed about it but she has dressed worse than this(I.E. Battle Bunny) she cringed at thinking about that miserable excuse for a dress.

Then there's a doorbell.

Riven quirked her brows in confusion, is Francis home already? He said he'd be home by 6:00 pm and she knows that it's by the evening.

Or it could be someone else.

Damn it.

Riven hopes its Shekinah or someone that is a friend of Francis, if it's a burglar or a criminal though . . . Riven went to her room and crouched to get the hilt-blade fragment of her broken sword. She carefully hid it behind her back so that she can still have the element of surprise.

She carefully walked to the door and opened it slowly. But she only opened it halfway through so that she could still hide her weapon without the guy knowing what her hand is doing.

Riven squinted her eyes at the man standing outside the door.

The man was tanned and was wearing a black bull cap, a sleek leather jacket of the same color and a jeans. In other words, suspicious.

"Excuse me miss, do you know where Mr. Ablon is?" the guy asked. Riven is becoming increasingly suspicious.

"I'm afraid I don't" Riven replied evenly, and very wary.

Then the guy had this crooked look about him topped with a very sly smile.

"Then let me rephrase my question, Ms. Riven of Noxus do you know where Mr. Francis Romulo Ablon is?" the guy said at which Riven immediately stiffened, then she quickly kicked the door, hitting the guy in surprise and in a quick motion she used her free hand to tug him inside the house and slam him down the floor, she then brought up her blade and threatened the guy by placing it dangerously close to his neck. All of that happened in less than five seconds.

"How do you know my name? Speak" Riven said in a dangerously silent whisper.

In response, the guy merely chuckled. It only annoyed Riven and she's actually doing her best not to decapitate the fool she downed on the floor.

"I said speak" Riven whispered in a dangerously low tone, edging and pushing her blade without slicing the skin.

The guy then stopped chuckling but he got this goofy smile on his face, then he pulled out something from his pocket. Riven tensed at this, but was surprised when she saw a card that was full of ornaments and designs of . . . Very familiar origins.

"Give this to Francis, champion" the guy said and Riven froze at the mention of the honorific.

"Oh and you can't read it, only he can read it" the guy added and Riven was about to ask something to the guy when something happened that she thought was utterly impossible to this world.

The guy she pinned down on the floor vanished, everything vanished with him, including his jacket and his clothing and Riven found herself kneeling on the floor without a body to threaten. Riven was stiffened at what just happened, because she knew what class of men and women can do those;

Summoners.

xXx

I tiredly entered the elevator and instinctively pushed the fifth button, looks like I'm all alone in the elevator as it steadily rose up.

Then the elevator music began to be heard, I certainly love elevator music especially since most of them are classics or mellows, coincidence is that those kind of music is my genre.

Yep laddies and lassies I am a very odd species for a man.

But what I heard was far from one of my favorites, in fact it's not even a part of the 80's at all.

_You got that one thing!_

I froze, of all the possible soundtracks this elevator could play, why the fuck is it One Direction!

Good thing the elevator did this familiar ping and then yes! I'm on my floor. I quickly left the elevator and that dreadful excuse for music and made my way to room 112 rather jovially now that I'm out of the range of that elevator.

I knocked the door thrice, the traditional way of knocking and waited for the woman inside the room to open up the door. Then the door was opened slightly with Riven's head poking out of the opening, just as she could fully tilt her head sideways I also tilted my head sideways so that her face was right in front of mine.

"Boo!" I said in the most frightening face I could manage. Riven only scoffed in annoyance at that, I was disappointed by the result, looks like I need to show her horror movies. It would be hard finding a movie that would scare her though, now that I think about it she's fighting champions like Karthus and Nocturne on the fields of justice and yes they may look cool from a gamers standpoint but what in real life? And she faces the horror of shadow isles on a regular basis.

"Oh, it's you" Riven said before opening the door, then I noticed that she was wearing a shorts and shirt combo. Thou shall not look at her legs, THOU SHALL NOT! While I am wearing casual work clothes, that being a white long sleeved shirt topped with a red necktie and slacks. I'm itching to remove these.

"Yeah it's me, expecting someone else?" I said with a teasing grin. She merely grunted in response then I looked on as she raised her other hand, the hand on her back, and was surprised to see the hilt fragment of her blade in her hands.

"Goddamnit bunny my neighbors would have a heart attack if they see you holding that!" I said incredulously.

"IF they do see me . . ." making a point on the word 'if' as she sat at the sofa. Actually, my neighbors would be on a hassle when they see this woman on my condominium for the reason of her presence alone. I'm a guy who's expected to live my whole life as a virgin, that's the sad truth.

"What's wrong?" I asked immediately as I noticed that she looked troubled. I sat down at the sofa opposite of hers and began untying my necktie as I awaited her response.

"There was a guy here while you're gone" Riven said, her face showing utter seriousness and no nonsense there.

"Did you kill him?"

"Do you see a blood stain on your floor?"

"You wiped it?"

"Idiot, I didn't"

"Then you what? Used a mop?"

"No, you moron, I meant that I didn't kill him" Riven replied, obviously frustrated at my antics. Hey I gotta be sure.

"So what was he doing here?" I asked as I finally removed the freaking tie off my neck. I gotta buy those ties with zippers, I'm gonna die in frustration with these ties someday!

"He knew about us" if I was drinking water I'd choke then sprinkle it all over on Riven's face, accidentally of course. Riven just dished another one of her revenges without her knowing it, I hope my face is not beet red. It's obvious by the look on her face that she didn't notice her poor choice of words.

"Uh-huh" I said, trying not to sound flustered. Goddamn it, I'm a guy and guys don't blush! Well except those on animes.

"He knows your full name, and I didn't know your second name was Romulo-" she said then added a little bit of teasing with my name.

"Just cram it in, please, it's not one of the greatest aspects of my being" I am obviously annoyed at people teasing me with my unusual second name. Not that I hate my second name, it's just them and their freaking teasing.

"Greatest aspects? Wow, you have one?" I felt a vein popping in this forehead of mine.

"Just continue would you . . ." I said though what I really want to do was grumble.

" . . . He also knows of me and addressed me by title . . ." by this point the both of us finally settled off the childish teasing and assumed mature seriousness.

"Which is Exile?" I asked, she nodded slowly in response.

"He wasn't even afraid when I threatened him with my blade"

"AHA!" that sound was of a man pouncing on the opportunity, also known as me.

"I DID NOT KILL HIM IDIOT!" and there we go again on the immaturity.

"So you did not kill him, I take it" I said doing my best to get this talk back on topic. Even though I was the one who veered it off.

"Yes, as much as I want to, and he left this . . ." Riven then took something from her pocket, it appears to be a black . . . Card? It was about the size of my phone, my phone is an iPhone 2 so go figure that out.

"He gave this to me and said that only you can read it" Riven explained as I inspected the card, it was a simple, black and . . . Featureless card.

What the fuck can I read from-

My thoughts were cut short as my body snapped to paralysis and my head throbbed as I slowly fall out of consciousness, the last thing I saw is Riven's shocked expression as she rushed and pulled my hand.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

I think this is the feeling of being very high, heaven as I heard drug addicts call it. Well, if that's it I can say that I'm in heaven, not literally.

God my head is so messed up.

My head felt so light and dazed as I stood up from whatever and wherever I was lying. I shook my head and blinked my eyes several times as I try to regain my vision, everything I see now is doubled and hazy. After a few attempts, and a few obviously unneeded whacks to my head by myself my vision finally cleared.

But even though my vision is cleared I still doubt my eyes, how could I not? When all I see couldn't be real. The land at my feet was layered with stone pathways, tall spires and towers dominated the skylines instead of skyscrapers and people didn't wear what I consider clothes, all I see are simple . . . Tunics? Yeah that's what they are called, tunics. Along with tunics are simple slacks and sometimes I see simple peasant-like clothing.

Then I saw swords.

I think I'm hallucinating.

Everything looks so surreal, as if everything were unreal, but at the same time, they look so vivid that they cannot simply be delusions.

Figuring that I'm standing in the middle of a walkway doing nothing, and the people doesn't even bother looking at a 5'10 guy standing in the middle I decided to ask someone. Looking around, I figured that I should ask the ones with friendly faces, and there are few. Even the women looked scary.

I saw a young mother with her son and so I decided to ask them.

"Excuse me, ma'am can I-" I immediately froze and became silent as I saw a very big man coming straight towards me running, I was about to scream stop when . . .

. . . He passed through me.

Okay I'm definitely high.

Very confused I decided to test if I really am incorporeal, I touched a walking man by the shoulder and my hand just slipped through him as if he was a ghost or in geek's terms as if he is a hologram.

"Francis?!" I heard someone call behind me.

I whipped my head at that direction as I turned around to see Riven running towards me.

I let out a sigh of utmost relief as I finally saw a familiar face, she was still wearing the clothes she wore back at the condominium, looks like she and I are the only one wearing casual clothes in this . . . whatever this place is called. Well, casual in my definition.

"You sure are a sight for sore eyes" I said with a relieved and happy grin. But my grin immediately faded when I saw Riven's face, she looked very very conflicted but it also looked like she's hiding something and keeping something behind a determined and conflicted look.

"What's wrong?" as immediate as my grin faded a frown of worry was now what my face is showing. She gave me a stare, a very disturbing stare as she added a moment of silence to that stare. Then she shrugged tiredly and held her left hand up to her eyes, massaged them a bit and said;

"We're . . . we're in Noxus"

I blinked once, my brain's processor slow at receiving the information. Then my eyes widened in shock and realization at what she said, I then looked around . . . This is Noxus?

"Is this place really Noxus . . . It doesn't look like it . . ." I said as I turned around while looking, trying to absorb every detail I could see.

"What do you mean, you haven't been in Runeterra have you?" she asked, confused and curious at what I'm implying.

" . . . In my world, there are these splash ar-I mean artworks that depict the different city-states in the world of Runeterra, Noxus doesn't look like this . . . based on what I saw of course" I explained.

"Do you mean the dark and dreary towers, brutal and dangerous streets and the overall grim aura?" Riven asked.

I looked at her and said; "Yeah" somewhat unconvinced.

"Not all of Noxus looks like that, this is the outer part of the city, it will go darker as we go nearer to the capital" Riven said somewhat . . . Sad.

"You really are a patriot" I observed. She grunted in reply before looking around, I noticed a small smile that was quickly lost on her face.

"I once was" Riven said sadly.

I was about to ask what the two of us would do next when I saw someone that changed a lot on how I think about Noxus, well this Noxus.

I reached out with my hand to Riven at my side, when she looked at me I gave her a disbelieving look and pointed at the person I saw.

Riven's eyes widened, confirming that who I thought I saw was indeed correct. I was pointing at a woman wearing a white garb that was topped with armor on certain key points, and by that I mean those parts that can be easily targeted by enemies like arms and shoulders for example. But what caught my attention and Riven's surprise was the fact that the girl's eyes were amber and her hair was white.

I looked at my companion and was not surprised that she still can't believe what she saw.

I don't blame her though, who is sane enough to believe that you're seeing yourself out of the mirror.

Things just got more confusing, as I looked on to Riven walking to the woman that looked like her.

And it may possibly be her.

xXx

Riven can't believe her eyes but at the same time, deep inside she knows that her eyes are not deceiving her. She slowly made her way to . . . Herself. The Riven that she's seeing seems to be furious, her hair was tied to a shorter ponytail and to her surprise, that Riven was still wielding an . . . unbroken blade.

Riven stopped in front of her younger self, that was the only conclusion she could think of, that she was seeing herself from years ago. She was simply at a loss of words as she saw a once prideful and proud warrior of Noxus.

"Riven are you alright?" she heard Francis ask worriedly, she shook her head 'no' as she stopped tears from flowing off her eyes.

"I . . . I know what's happening" she said after finally putting the pieces together. She did not realize it earlier because of the presence of Francis, but know that she saw a perfect copy of herself from years ago then she finally realized what is happening.

"What?" Francis asked.

"We're in a champion evaluation" She replied.

"What?" Francis asked incredulously, but surprisingly for Riven, he was not that shocked. That's quite an intriguing bit of detail. But maybe he just doesn't know what a champion evaluation is.

"A champion evaluation is something that every champion of the league goes through-" Riven started explaining but was mildly surprised when Francis raised a hand, kindly urging her to stop.

"I know what a champion evaluation is, I'll explain it later how I know it bunny, but this couldn't be it because only-"

" . . . Only summoners could prepare and do it? The guy that was in your condo earlier suddenly vanished in thin air after giving me the card . . ." now Riven was the one interrupting, she forgot to tell him that little bit of detail.

Francis just nodded at that and stroked his chin with his right hand in what looked to be his thinking pose. Riven was really surprised at this guy, he's in-taking all the knowledge, that seems to be unbelievable to his perspective, with a level-headed calmness.

Looks like there's more to this guy than annoying foolishness and pleasing kindness.

"But how could this be a champion evaluation when you've already done it? and there's the two of us here in your past" Francis explained while taking a good look at the scenery, Riven saw him looking at her past self who looked like she's impatiently waiting for something. Riven doesn't know because she's willing to forget everything about her past and what's happening now is not good for her, at all.

But Francis's explanation actually rung true, if this is a champion evaluation then there are serious flaws in this. Most obvious being the fact that summoners would be actively exploiting your mind looking for your horrible moments.

"So since we're in your past, do you remember what will happen next?" Francis asked as he scratched his head.

"I actually . . . don't remember, I do not want to remember" Riven said, hoping that the pain in her voice wasn't noticed by the guy in front of him.

Then she saw Francis sighing heavily, then he flashed Riven an amused and goofy grin.

"Well, I toured you around the mall, do a favor and tour me around your memories" he said with a friendly tone.

"I'm sure that you wouldn't want to tour around-" Riven stopped talking when Francis forcefully patted his hands on each of her shoulders. He was looking straight at her eyes and Riven found no reason to not return his gaze.

"Riven, I know you're nervous and scared but please, just relax, if this is just a memory then it wouldn't hurt that much right?" she heard Francis say convincingly and kindly. Why is the guy so friendly and understanding? Riven broke eye contact and bowed down. But what Francis was thinking was wrong, she still hasn't resolved the ghosts of her pasts, not even after the champion's evaluation and being back in another memory doesn't help that feeling, even with Francis's help.

"So, where are you going?" Francis asked which raised Riven's head and eyebrows. She's certainly not going anywhere, she blinked her eyes when she saw that Francis was addressing her but was pointing at something else.

She followed where his hand was pointing and saw her past self grumbling while stomping away.

"I . . . I don't know, really" Riven said, it was truth though as this was a long long time ago. Way before her wanderings to the League, heck, this time maybe even before her exile, which she dreadfully assumes is correct.

"Well, shall we follow her, bunny?" Francis said with his usual joviality and grin.

Riven didn't feel those feelings though, who knows what they-no, what HE will see when this day ends. Noxus is not particularly known for it's pleasing hospitality.

"Francis, no, Noxus is not a place for-" Riven began to explain her point when, again, Francis interrupted with a raised hand a smile and a pat to the head.

"Oh please, worry about yourself!" Francis teased, the patted Riven grinned briefly before powering her fists with force and punched the guy in the stomach. Which made him double down in pain.

"Come on" Riven said with cockiness as she went onward, walking and not waiting for that bald harlequin.

xXx

The two of us followed Riven's past self as that younger Riven seethed that made her footsteps turn into angry stomps. I asked the woman walking alongside me as to why she was angry during this particular event on her memories and she replied that this was after the bombing made by Zaun's most exemplary citizen. One that would raise storm clouds to the Riven beside me that is similar to the one that we are following.

As Riven was awfully quiet as we followed her past self, I also was silent, but not because of any certain emotion. I was digesting through the tidbits of information that I managed to gather about the Runeterran beside me. It is obvious by now that the lore was lacking serious substantiation about Riven's life and even personality, so it's best to throw what I know about Riven out of the window and focus on what I currently know since the day she popped out of my monitor.

I grunted, I always seem to forget that I should buy another monitor for my PC.

Someone grabbed my right arm and I was out of my thoughts and saw that Riven stopped me because the Riven we are following also stopped in front of a large building. I was careful not to leave my mouth hanging as I saw that we're in front of a large medieval structure made of cobblestones and the like. It looked like the barracks, the command center, and the training center of the Noxian military.

"Come" Riven said neutrally as we continued following her younger self, as we went inside we saw soldiers training and whacking an assortment of training dummies in-what I assumed was-Demacian armor.

The younger Riven entered the barracks with eyes of varying emotions boring down upon her. When I looked to the Riven beside me for answers, I immediately clamped my mouth shut. For she is as angry as her counterpart.

I saw the younger Riven going straight in to a grand door, which I guessed was the office for whoever is in charge.

Then Riven, the one beside me, stopped walking. I looked at her and saw that she was experiencing pain just by being in here. She looked pretty vulnerable and I don't want to see her in that way. I took her trembling hands in mine, and was just there for her, silently holding her hands, not trying to reassure her that it's alright because it's not.

She sighed heavily then proceeded and went straight through the door of the office which her past self just slammed. I followed suit, with great concern for the woman that I did not notice our ability to pass through objects.

I saw her looking at her past self shouting at the officer in charge. But there's something wrong, why is everything muted? I just noticed it, there was no sound in this place!

"Riven . . ." I said as she turned back to me, her amber eyes nearly ready to become waterfalls. She wiped her eyes as she spoke;

"I fought for my city-state because I believed in it's ideals, I was a perfect soldier, never complaining, never doubting and most of all, very obedient to the higher ups. The soldiers I lead looked up to me as a role model for a Noxian warrior, I was happy back then, I was unbeatable and the city celebrated me as an exemplar for what it stands for. Then came the conquest of Ionia . . ." She stopped for a while. From my point of view it's obvious that she's reluctant to talk to me about it.

I sighed and went near her, "It's okay if you won't tell me . . . I won't push" Riven looked surprised at what I said then guilty.

" . . . I was tasked with dangerous operations, not that I'm not used to it but things are . . . not what they seem. The operations were somewhat off and questionable, things that are not standing to the ideals that Noxus believes in. By this point of time, doubts start to plague me, until that faithful mission where my whole battalion was obliterated by that madman from Zaun. Then here we are . . . With me complaining to the leaders that I once had complete trust in" Riven finished, it is obvious that she was pained just by sharing those things to me. But I'm hoping that she has shared it that there would be more happiness and that everything will be alright from this point.

Then she collapsed into tears. I gritted my teeth then I hugged the poor woman, she parked her head in her my shoulders then I felt wetness on my shirt. I just let her cry, this woman should let her emotions flow out more often.

"Francis?" Riven asked.

"Yes?"

"Look around!" she said in urgent manner, I did what she said and my eyes widened in panic. Everything was turning white all of a sudden, as if my eyes were getting blinded but there is also the figure of Riven in my arms. I instinctively held her more close and more tightly. Then the light was too blinding for my eyes any more.

I closed my eyes in panic, and in relief that I was still hugging Riven.

"Francis?" I heard her voice.

"It's okay, you can let go now" Riven said.

I tentatively opened my eyes as I break off the hug. Again my eyes were dazed and blurry.

"Where are we?" Riven asked.

When my eyes got back it's use I gasped. I saw a building in front of me, one that is familiar to my world. But something's wrong. Why aren't we back in my condominium? Then I suddenly realized that this place also had the surreal feeling in it.

I looked around and saw kids in school uniforms.

"R-Riven . . . we're in m-my past!"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

Riven was perplexed as she looked around the surroundings of Francis's secondary school. In Noxus, the only thing you need to learn is survival and the value of strength, if you fail then you die, simple as that. When she looked around though, she could easily compare that this institution taught things like how those professors and teachers in Bandle City and Piltover does.

She looked back at Francis and was surprised at what she saw, the usually extroverted bald guy was frozen in place. Wide eyes that were frantically looking around and about with his gnarled and stressed hands moving around doing random things restlessly and nervously. She was not surprised because of the weird acts she was doing but rather by his uncharacteristic tension about the situation.

"Francis?" Riven asked worriedly as she went near him, she saw the guy he was talking to whipped his head quickly at Riven and relieve his tension, even by a bit.

"Are you okay?" she asked, not taking her eyes off of Francis's widened ones. She saw him bow his head for awhile, he shook it twice before he looked back at Riven with an obviously forced and uneasy grin.

"I . . . Yes, come, I'll show you around" Francis said without his usual liveliness. Whatever has happened here, it provided serious damage to his mind and his heart like what happened to Riven when she was exiled.

Well, this guy helped her confront the ghosts of her past. It is only fitting to also do that for him.

Francis showed her around, saying the names and the designations of each building and their use. Francis was explaining while walking when he stopped dead in his tracks. I scrunched my eyebrows in curiosity when she saw what he saw.

It was him, a younger part of him.

Francis from the last ten years was what Riven guessed. The younger Francis was the same as the current one, scrawny and bald with the same features but only a lot shorter than he is now.

Riven tapped the guy's shoulder friendly, hoping that he will take this up and share this out to her. So the pain in his heart would be eased and relieved.

And also so that Riven wouldn't worry for her first friend in her whole life.

xXx

I was hoping that I would never saw the kid in front of me . . .

I was wishing that the four most unforgettable and eventful years in my twenty five years of life would be kept in the deepest recesses of my heart. But as luck would have it, here am I, facing a younger and more troubled version of myself.

A friendly tap on my shoulder made me turn around to see the platinum-haired woman named Riven looking at me with worry and something else . . . was that understanding? I don't know for sure, my mind is so messed up as of the moment.

I looked back at the younger version of myself and saw him talking to his/my former classmates with joviality. Like as how my friends and Riven today would comment on my attitude and my tone of speaking, though I know that behind that mischievous face was someone in despair and loneliness.

Then the younger me started walking into a classroom, if I remember correctly the class he was going to was the last class for the morning, just before our lunch break.

I sighed heavily and looked back at Riven, who was still that theme of worry surrounding her.

She shared the greatest burden in her life, it is only fitting if she'll be the one listening to my sorrows this time.

xXx

Riven saw as Francis wordlessly followed to the place where his younger self went into. Riven followed the guy, more worried just because he became strangely silent, in her week-long tenure in his dwelling the first thing that Riven knows and noticed about her host is that he rarely shuts up and Shekinah confirms that her brother is a proud extrovert and warned her that when Francis is silent then you better be wary.

Riven clearly remembered what Shekinah advised to her at this moment, at first she was unsure what Shekinah meant, when she found a conclusion she thought that Francis is not the kind of guy that you would like to piss off but no, what Francis' non-biological sister actually meant that when Francis became silent, he would not-and probably cannot-cause damage unto others, but only to himself.

And like Shekinah said, Riven is wary about her friend as she followed him.

She saw Francis look back at her for a moment just before he entered, though the more proper term is went through, the classroom. Riven followed suit and saw the guy standing still as he looked around the room.

Riven also looked around the place, she saw each student were divided into three groups each occupying three large and rectangular tables with stools around them. Riven flinched and froze when she saw several beakers and other chemical containers of various sizes and shapes on large cabinets and other furniture. No! This is Francis' memories, there won't be a chemically addicted madman lurking around this place.

Riven tried hard to convince herself of the fact that this is far from Noxus or Zaun or any mad experiment to create poisons and harmful chemicals by Singed. She took in deep breaths to ease her quickened heartbeats and after a minute or so of doing that she finally warded off the panic and anxiety that plagued her chest.

She continued to look around, trying to find Francis younger version when she found a younger version of Shekinah, much to her surprise.

She poked the tall guy beside him, "Is that Shekinah?" Riven asked.

Francis looked as if he was spacing out, which he probably is, and had just returned focus back when Riven took his attention.

"Yes, we were classmates for four years, this is the third year of my life in this school and with my sister . . ." Francis said, though Riven noticed that even with his lifeless tone she could pick out an almost unnoticeable tone of happiness underlying the despair he currently shows now. Then he trailed off as he looked at something else. Curious, Riven trailed at where his eyes were looking and was mildly surprised to see Francis's younger self standing and quickly leaving the classroom while covering his face.

Why was he covering his face?

Then the Francis beside him followed him with the same urgency and without notice to the woman standing beside him. Riven followed after the two Francis's curious as to why the younger Francis left the room and still worried because the present Francis was still silent.

The two of them followed Francis' younger self to a secluded place in the school, when Riven observed the surroundings she saw that this place was behind one of the buildings where the classroom he left was.

Then he stopped.

Riven's eyes widened as she now knows why the younger Francis was covering his face.

He was coughing.

He was coughing blood.

Riven looked at the Francis beside him with shock and hands covering her mouth. The guy she was looking at had a face that doesn't reveal anything, a neutral face that could only mean that he froze dead in his tracks as the memory triggered something emotional in his mind. Riven knew this feeling too well, as it was the feeling that she experienced when she saw the woman that looked like her in their past venture.

"I was happy with my life, I had friends . . ." Francis stopped for a moment as a single tear escaped each of his eyes.

" . . . No, not friends, but family. A second family that I found in the most unlikely of places and the most unfortunate of times. But nonetheless it was a family, we supported each other through each of the four years that we were together in this school, we were together through all the ups and downs of each and everyone's life. But then something threatened the close bond that happened in my life . . ." He said before pointing out to his younger self.

Riven looked on in shock as the young Francis took a syringe from his slacks' pocket. It was small which held a white liquid. She saw as he injected the needle into his left arm, slowly emptying the white liquid that the syringe carried.

"I was diagnosed with a stage 4 lung cancer, a sickness that doomed me to death. The doctors said that they never came upon a patient of a stage 4 cancer that doesn't show any symptoms or severe byproduct effects such as me, on the outset any other guy would only consider me as malnourished but the truth is far more grim than what they saw. Aside from that, they couldn't point out the time span of my remaining life on earth, so I lived everyday fearing that it would be my last-" from this point, Francis's tears were free flowing from his eyes and his voice was starting to get shaky and dismal.

"-It was so unfair! I-I finally found true friends in my l-life a-and then I would live everyday t-t-thinking that I won't b-be able to see t-t-them again? I s-started to live everyday like it was the last, always one of the more lively and humorous guy in the group it covered up the fact that I'm terminally ill to the rest of them, with the only living beings that know of my sickness outside of my family was Shekinah" he finally said as he continued crying.

Riven felt horrible. She felt more horrible than when she was excommunicated from her city-state. She never expected and she never _wanted _anybody to live like this, it's not a form of living, it's slow and painful death.

She hugged Francis tightly. She hugged the guy that took her in, she hugged the guy that helped her have a life in this world, she hugged the guy that puts everyone else first than his own self, she hugged the guy that would listen to her problems, she hugged the guy she knew would hug anyone with the same burden, she hugged the guy that was her first friend.

Riven did not notice the the surroundings slowly vanishing into bright light as she continued to hug the poor guy.

xXx

I opened my eyes only to see a monitor with a big gnarly hall in the middle of it.

Looks like we're back to the real world. Well, at least my real world.

I wiped the tears off my eyes using my arm as Riven slowly broke off the hug. I sighed heavily and tiredly, I just said the most well-kept secret in my whole life to someone who I've met just a few days ago. Well, she shared her most painful experience, I thought that it was only fair for me to share the heaviest burden in the twenty-five years of my existence.

I plopped down the sofa due to mental exhaustion, with Riven following suit. We were silent for a few minutes, I was silently happy that I've let that out, now I'm feeling relieved that I have let that out of my system, something that I haven't felt for a long time.

_I finally unloaded that burden_, I thought with a contented grin.

_I feel the same way, too._

It took me a few minutes for my mind to register that I did _not _thought of the words that I just _heard_ in my mind. And when I did, I bolted up and out of the sofa, I heard the voice in . . . whatever that can be called . . . the closest word I could come up with what I heard in my head is; thought. The voice and the intonation that I heard was reminiscent of the woman beside me.

When I looked at her, she was also standing and looking at me in shock and surprise.

"Riven. What just happened?" I asked curiously and incredulously.

Riven just had this look that approves but at the same time her face cannot believe that it can be approved.

"I-It's telepathy" Riven replied tentatively.

"How's that possible?" I asked back.

"Francis it's only possible if two people are linked magically together and the connection is most strongest within the minds of the two synchronized beings" Riven explained, but she's holding something back.

"I can tell that you're holding something back from me. What is it?" I asked kindly, though my curiosity and worry was still there. Who knows what byproducts come with this connection that the two of us possess.

"Francis, the only beings who can form bonds between two beings are summoners, and these bonds are always exercised in the league of legends . . ." Riven trailed off, she doesn't have to complete what she has to say. Based from what she said, it's easy to conclude what she's about to say.

"I'm a summoner, ain't I?" I asked tiredly, my left hand on my hip and my right one massaging both of my eyes.

"Yes . . ." she replied.

"Francis look at your arm!" Riven said with urgency.

I looked at her with one of my brows raised up as I looked at my right arm, only for my eyes to widen in shock and awe at what I'm seeing.

A bright green light was moving on the surface of my skin, panic and fear of the unknown immediately settled in me.

"Holy Sweet Honey Ice Tea!" I shouted as I furiously shook my hand arm around as if that I could shake it off with my effort, I discovered that it cannot be undone after a few futile tries.

"Stop panicking, idiot" Riven said with a light tone, in fact she was teasing at me with a smile as she held my hand, stopping me from moving and shaking.

Then I noticed that the same thing was happening with her left arm, though hers was moving in a different pattern.

"What is happening?!" I asked incredulously as the light intensified, forcing me to block my eyes with my free hand.

When I opened my eyes and looked at my arm I was surprised when I saw a _tattoo_ on where the bright green light was.

_Wait, those bright lights were like tattoo ink?_ I thought, annoyed that I panicked at that.

_Technically you're correct_, came the familiar voice of Riven's.

"God, I can't get used to these mental mumbo jumbo!" I said out loud to which Riven's reply was only a laugh as she let go of my tattooed arm. I slightly smile when I saw her happy and laughing, those are things that she should do more often.

"So you like it when I laugh, eh?" she replied with obvious mischief in her voice, my eyes widened as I remember that she could her my thoughts as if I'm saying what I'm thinking.

I slapped my right palm on my face, I should talk AND think more carefully, then I noticed the tattoo. My brows crunched as I curiously inspected the tattoo that I magically got.

I saw what resembled to be Riven's blade without cracks or other signs of it being broken, then I also saw two green snakes twirling around the blade with the two's heads looking at each other on the position of the hilt, overall it made me remember of the caduceus; that wand that the greek god Hermes always carries around him. It was made famous here in the Philippines by a certain drug store.

I turned to look at what Riven got, I wasn't too surprised to see that hers was similar to mine with a certain big difference. Instead of two snakes twirled around an unbroken blade, a snake positioned in a circle that bit it's tail was placed around the blade on her arm. I easily recognized the snake, it was Oroboros a figure in norse mythology, a giant snake that bit it's tail.

"What's this for?" I asked Riven.

"It's to signify which champion is paired to the certain summoner, both have similar design with a few key differences, no other pair would have the same design as that certain pair . . ." Riven explained.

" . . . Though I wonder, why the need to place marking tattoos when I'm the only champion in this world?" Riven muttered, but because of our connection I easily heard what she said.

"About that Riven . . ." I said.

"Hmm?" she asked, right before the two of us heard a knocking at my door.

"Francis?" I heard a guy said from the other side of the door.

"Good timing" I muttered as I remember that I invited Gian yesterday about the champions arriving here in our world.

"Riven, I bet that you know what I was thinking?" I asked.

"Yep" she said with a nod as she went to her(MY!) room.

"I'll mentally call you after I briefed him" I said to her as I made way to the door.

_The guy named Gian is an avid gamer and fan of League of Legends, I wouldn't want him to faint when he saw one of his favorite characters in the league._

I sighed at that thought as I opened the door.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10:

Gian is one of those guys that fitted the descriptions of my not-so-close friends, but we're still friends and even if it's not that strong that kind of friendship endures and will always be effective. He's a friendly guy with very weird, vain and unmanly photogenic streaks on the social medias and on his phone. Well, at least since the last time I've seen, which was nearly six years ago.

I smirked as I hoped that he changed, even for a bit, this time around.

Opening the door, I saw his telltale spiky/unruly hair and his mischievous grin. The guy was wearing an orange shirt and a blue jeans combo with sneakers, he also had a backpack slung on his back. Which obviously made the curious little me to wonder on what's inside.

"Bro!" he said in greeting as he raised his hands for a high five.

I chuckled as I clapped his open hand, he still hadn't changed, but there's also the slightest chance that his attitude or his outlook on life has changed. After all, eight years has been long.

I stood aside so that he can enter my room, I saw him look around my condominium. I froze as he saw the broken monitor of my personal computer, now that I thought about it I have no freaking alibi for these types of situations!

"Whoa, dude!" Gian exclaimed as he went near the monitor and examined it, I immediately went to action, Gian's a pretty smart guy with an above average ability on analysis who knows what he might find there in the hole, and worse there might still be tiny fragments of Riven's blade in there.

I rushed to my monitor and stopped his hands from touching the tiny bits of broken glass and technological bits on the rugged hole.

"Wait, that's still sparky!" I reasoned out, hoping that my lies would be believed by my friend.

I nearly sighed when the guy quickly placed his hand as far away to the holed screen as fast as possible.

_Looks like I'm safe_ . . . _for know . . ._

"What happened to that anyway?" Gian said as he pointed at the "sparky" hole of the monitor.

"I . . . really don't wanna talk about it" I said dismissively, hoping that he buys it and would stop asking me about the monitor.

He was dreadfully silent for a short while, I was hoping that he won't push it, because of the fact that I won't have answer if he asks more.

_Yes, you don't and please don't let him enter my room . . ._

I stopped my eyes from widening, I was so tensed about hiding my tracks that I forgot about the presence of the biggest evidence that I'm lying and hiding something from him.

_Don't worry, just be silent okay?, _I told the woman that I'm thinking was preparing her blade if ever Gian will wander to her territory.

_Hey! _she replied to my thought and not to the mental message I sent to her.

Meanwhile, the guy who I invited to my place sat at my large couch sofa and sighed one that sounds like is made of satisfaction and relaxation, probably because of my couch or something.

He then laid his bag next to him and opened it, I saw him take a netbook as he gestured at me to come near him.

_Looks like he got something interesting . . . _I thought and at the same time I told Riven who only grunted, though in my mind I saw her nodding.

He showed the screen of his laptop in front of me and was surprised at what I saw, it was the same picture that I saw on the internet, I'm more surprised at how Gian got it especially since that forum was shut down by a mysterious someone. And what's more, the picture was of a higher quality than what I saw.

"This is-" Gian began to said but I cut him off.

"A guy and Nami" I concluded, but without the natural tone of wonder that I'm thinking Gian expected that this picture would invoke.

"You don't seem surprised?" Gian asked as he pushed more buttons on his laptop.

"I actually saw that at the internet" I replied earnestly as I looked on at what else the guy has.

"I thought of that, but there are other champions than Nami here . . ." he said as I saw him open a gallery with a ton of pictures.

He clicked one and showed it to me.

It was a picture of cleared out area on a forest clearing, normally I would dismiss this as nothing but caused by heavy rains but what caught my attention is that there are irregular cuts on some of the conifers on that clearing plus there was one that was timbered and the cut that made it fall was unnervingly too clean for my taste, then I realized that Gian just zoomed the picture as he dragged the picture to the left. That's where my eyes bulged.

There was an awfully familiar, huge-ass sword rooted on the ground as if it was one big and mighty Excalibur.

I looked at the smirking face of Gian.

"No shit . . . don't tell me that's Garen?" I was obviously lying, and I hope I sounded convincing, there currently is a platinum haired champion that can reform her sword in a jiffy at my bedroom, so this is not quite a shock to me.

"Yup, this was at Switzerland" Gian said as he showed me another picture.

This time it was on a public place, where there are many people walking towards and away from the camera. Unfortunately I failed to see any champion on the picture so I gave Gian a confused and unconvinced look. In reply, the guy zoomed on a certain woman wearing a white shirt and gray jeans. Then I finally understood what Gian meant, the woman was turning her back on the camera so I didn't notice it at first, the woman was blonde with her hair ending at her shoulders but her left hand was holding something like a baton, but I also didn't notice that the part of the picture where the end of the baton was supposed to be was blurred slightly, the only thing that could do that are lights.

"Lux, right?" I asked for confirmation to which the guy just nodded with a grin.

Gian continued to show me several different pictures, there are only some high quality pictures that are totally identifiable to the one who looks at it, most are vague shots and most often than not, quickly done snapshots.

I was relieved that Gian doesn't have a picture of a certain platinum haired, amber eyed champion. Because if he saw Riven in one of those pics then there's a big possibility that he'll see mine too.

"Why are you suddenly interested in this anyway?" Gian asked me.

I really have no answer to that, and I would rather say the truth than lie to him. The obvious thing with lying is that the one you lied upon will learn eventually, so why won't you tell him/her the truth early on where you still haven't sinned?

I let out a long and nervous sigh.

"Do you really want to know?" I asked him.

_Riven, I guess it's safe to come out now, _I said to her mind through our bond.

"Of course, man there's noth-" whatever he was about to say was cut off when he saw the exile in my room.

"-ing to be afraid of" he finally concluded in awe. I grinned at his pretty hilarious face. Careful to not laugh at his reaction.

Then his face shifted to what I noticed was panic.

"No . . . Stop! Don't do that!" Gian shouted at Riven which made her eyebrows furrow in confusion. She's not the only one that's confused, I myself am looking at my friend with my jaw dropped open in surprise and wonderment at what he just said.

I am not a guy that easily panics, I have learned to be calm in very intense situations, a byproduct that was unconsciously given to me by college and eventually, my work.

But not even the pressurizing college nor my stressful job prepared my mind for panic and awe when a dark greenish light glowed from underneath the shirt sleeve covering Gian's right bicep.

My eyes widened as I remembered where I've seen a similar event before.

I turned to look at Riven who was equally surprised when suddenly a shroud of black smoke covered her.

When the mysterious smoke-like substance has lifted, Riven was not alone.

A figure clad in skin-tight green attire that stood in the border of armor and sexy outfit was behind Riven, two scythe-like weapons in each hand and a mask that covered her mouth and nose. One of the blades was dangerously close to slitting Riven's throat, while the other was pointing at the two of us.

"Don't meddle with this Gian, this Noxian must die" she said as Riven gritted her teeth.

I looked on in total shock as Riven, the Exile is rendered powerless in the current situation against the Fist's Shadow;

Akali.

xXx

Riven was completely caught by surprise at what happened, she never expected this scenario in Francis' world and because of that she stupidly let her guard drop. Now look where that got her, held hostage by a woman as deadly as a Noxian assassin with red hair, with the only difference aside from looks and weapons is that the woman who's holding curved blades to Riven's throat has a deep and intense hatred to every Noxian soldier and champion.

Riven stopped her instinct to flip the woman over, it may cause more serious repercussions on this situation. As Riven calmed down, she immediately grasped the intensity of the situation and sought out ways in which she can hopefully use against her captor.

_Don't move, I have an idea,_ I heard Francis's voice in my mind. I quickly looked at him, he has this calm aura about him . . . but Riven also noticed that he's stopping himself from reacting, as she noticed his hands opening and closing back and forth in tension even though his face is admirably neutral.

"I take it, she blasted out of your screen" Francis said with a grin at Gian, much to everyone's surprise, though none showed their shock in the tense atmosphere.

"Uhh . . . Yeah?" Riven looked on at Francis' friend who didn't seem to know how to tackle this difficult situation.

Then Francis turned to look at Riven and Akali, Riven spied the latter to be completely surprised at what my summoner is acting like.

Riven froze, then she blinked her eyes.

That's right, Francis was now his summoner, his partner. She just fully grasped the situation and she was overwhelmed with dozens of emotions, mostly being happiness and confusion. Happiness because of the fact that her summoner is someone she can rely on and confusion as to what purpose were they bonded? Riven has a nagging feeling about that but she shelved that thought for later. For now, focus on this situation is a must.

"You were just having a match at one of the fields of justice and then suddenly you're here, at our world. Am I right?" Francis said to Riven's captor with a practiced grin and unbalancing gladness.

Unbalancing gladness it is as Riven felt Akali slightly lower her guard even for a bit, she could easily counterattack at Akali at that point but she decided to trust Francis and whatever it is he was planning.

"How did yo-" Akali said before he was interrupted by Francis's chuckle.

"How did I know? You could ask that woman you're hugging" he said after chuckling.

Then Francis inched closer, which made Akali tense even more but strangely did not tighten her blades on Riven.

"The point is, Akali, this is not Runeterra anymore, this is Earth in the small yet frivolous country of the Philippines, there's no point in fighting for a cause that simply can't be fought for anymore" Francis said with a smile.

There was a tense silence for a minute.

"But she's a Noxian! She killed dozens of Ionians in their bid for control!" Akali shouted, her voice quavering in anger and fury. Riven was surprised at how she reacted, she thought that Francis has finally calmed her down.

"How about you, Ionian?" everyone in the room was caught by surprise at what the bald headed young man said, he said it calmly and still with a knowing smile on his face.

"W-W-What?" Akali asked, seemingly more surprised than Riven or Gian for that matter.

Francis smiled.

"I know that the Noxians ravaged many Ionian towns and countrysides with mad fervor, I also know that they've slaughtered whole populations of Ionians" He paused then he looked at me and smiled.

"But, didn't you even wonder that the soldiers of the infamous Noxian warmachine was just following orders, who were forced to fight to the death so that they may live when the war ends? Didn't you even consider that they also have families?" Francis said.

The sound of steel hitting the floor was heard as Akali loosed the grip on her dangerous weapons.

Riven was surprised at what she was seeing, the steely and passive Ionian assassin was kneeling on the floor with her hands on her eyes, crying.

She saw Gian rush to her and immediately hug her, consoling the woman that nearly claimed Riven's life.

Riven hear someone sigh heavily and turned around to see Francis standing beside him with a worried expression on his face. Gone was the confident aura and the charismatic smile, all that Riven sees is a deeply worried young man.

Riven didn't reply to that.

Instead, she silently hugged the guy, who seemingly tensed at what she did, but Riven cared no less. Her hug was truly heartfelt and she made sure that Francis understands that.

"Thank you" she whispered to him as she hugged him tighter.

"Hey, bunny, I'm scrawny remember?" Francis said as the two of them laughed.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11:

I love my life.

Those words were what I thought as Riven hugged the life out of me, not literally of course. That's not the only reason why I feel so elated this time, though, I'm partly glad that my plan worked. I still can't fully believe it but I managed to talk the green-clad ninja from releasing the not-so-damsel with platinum hair. I mean, how many guys out there could boast out there that they just calmed down a ninja, and a ninja from a video game on top of that.

I instinctively grunted as Riven hugged my frail figure tighter. I grinned, also, not many could boast that they are embraced by their favorite video game character.

"Hey, Bunny, I'm scrawny remember?" I said, with the both of us laughing thereafter.

Then I heard somebody clear his/her throat, and I'm sure it was not Riven. My eyes widened as my instincts immediately kicked in, unconsciously breaking me away from Riven's embrace. But it looks like Riven has the same thought as the both of us broke contact at the same time.

I turned around to see Gian looking at me, with a clearly guilty face and a frown, I can't blame him though with what Akali . . .

_Wait, where's Akali?!_

_I'm as surprised as you are . . ._ came Riven's mental reply.

I must look utterly confused as Gian tilted his head sideways, in what I remembered as his way of showing curiosity, how did I know that? He got that expression from me while we were in college. I'm awesome like that.

"If you're thinking where Akali is, she left moments ago while the two of you're hugging" Gian said, answering our unvoiced question with a mischievous smile.

I saw Riven blush from the corner of my eye, but I paid it no mind. Actually, my mind is more interested in how Akali suddenly vanished.

"Okay, she's gone, but how?" I asked, hoping that my curiosity would be sated.

Gian sighed, then he gave me a tired yet amused smile.

"No, Francis she did not have the ability to become invisible, she simply and silently left the condo, again, while the two of you are hugging" Gian explained.

I simply grunted at that, I let my inner geek take over my mind there for a little bit.

"Well, this night's been long, I'm gonna leave you two, okay?" Gian said tiredly as he tiredly packed his laptop to his bag.

I went over to Gian, and sat at the sofa where his bag was placed.

"Hey, come here tomorrow at 6pm" I said to him with a half-serious and half-mischievous tone. If you ask how that sounds, don't. As I said, I'm awesome like that.

"Yeah, we still have a lot to talk about" Gian said as he slung his bag over his back.

"Bye, dude" he said with a tired wave of his hand.

"Yeah, bye" I replied with the same tired intonation. I relaxed at the sofa I was sitting at, today's quite a day for a scrawny and wimpy geek like me. Today's also an extremely stressful day for me, I groaned at that, looks like migraine's gonna be a bitch sooner or later, though I sincerely hope that no such thing will happen tomorrow.

"You, alright?" Riven said as she sat down beside me, I can tell by just looking at her face that she's extremely worried for my well-being. How cute, but her pity is misplaced as I don't need it.

"If you're thinking about my lung cancer, please don't" I said in a joking manner, then she frowned and proceeded to punch me in the arm. Though I was slightly pissed as to why her punch was significantly weaker than usual.

I frowned at her before I replied;

"Please don't pity me, it is insulting" I said without emotion. There are some people who are easily pissed if they are pitied because of their handicap or sickness, I am not that type of sickly person, I have long ago accepted what my fate is but I do not wish to be reminded by people of my weakness when they show pity.

Riven let out a heavy sigh before she smiled at me and also before she aggressively pushed me, it was aggressive because I was pushed down the sofa with surprising force. Before I could even react, I saw Riven leaning towards me, fast. My eyes widened, and I DID NOT THINK WHAT YOU ARE THINKING BECAUSE RIVEN CAN FREAKIN' READ MY MIND.

Still with a smile on her face, Riven remained in that position for several decades, as I was seriously trying to compose my-FREAKING-self.

"You hate it because people don't treat you like others because you have this sickness, you hate to be treated in a special manner because you think that you don't deserve it, that's why you didn't tell your sickness to anyone else but your closest friends. Francis, to put it simply you hate being weak" she said right before chuckling.

"Wow, who would've guessed that you had the Noxian spirit within you" Riven said with a laugh as she slowly rose from her LEANING position. I, on the other hand, remained at that position for a few minutes longer, and it is because of both what Riven said AND what Riven did. First, what she said was true, it totally makes sense in my kind of situation.

I sighed at that, Noxian eh? Weird.

On the other hand, what Riven did was totally unexpected. My mind was shell-shocked, literally, at what she did. Looks I really need to investigate if she really had been friends with the Nine-Tailed Fox.

"Hey, stop looking so shell-shocked over there" Riven said with a grin, I don't know if she took that world out of her own vocabulary or if she read my mind just now. I don't want to ponder on the latter thought . . .

Quickly composing myself, I stood from the position that Riven left me in and stretched my limbs for a bit.

"I'm surprised that you haven't begged for food, bunny" I teased as I made my way to the kitchen.

"Oh please, I know you want me begging" Riven said in a VERY feminine tone, that sultry tone just sent shivers down my spine.

"Bunny, you're creeping me out" I replied as I opened the fridge.

"I know you like it!" Riven shouted back right before laughing as she stayed in the living room. I decided to not reply on that one, I'm sure that I can't win any argument with her anyway. Turning back to the fridge, I pondered upon the meal I will cook for the two of us tonight. After several minutes of stroking my chin and contemplating if that dish was good I finally decided to keep it simple and cook my favorite spicy chicken. Luckily for me, I have a commercially packed and already marinated chicken on my fridge, hey it's much more convenient than cooking especially in these kinds of situations.

Fifteen minutes full of care and the sound of Riven's impatient footsteps was all it took for me to finish the meal, which smelled awfully good. As approved by the (cute)smiling face of Riven as I brought the meal to the small glass table. The two of us immediately started eating, and I'm proud to share that for once, I ate faster than Riven who took time to adapt to the hot and spicy tinge of the dish.

"Hey, you're not drinking your medicine aren't you?" Riven asked, I raised my head up to meet her eye, she didn't sound nor look pitiful at me, which was kinda good. I don't want her pitying and I also don't want her LEANING again.

I shook my head 'yes' as I continued to eat my spicy wings.

"Huh? I haven't seen you drink anything" Riven said in confusion.

I looked at her face, which was very sweaty, a side effect of the spiciness of the chicken meal.

_For starters, you sleep earlier than me, secondly, I thought I made it clear that I don't want to be pitied, if you see me in that scenario- _my mental rambling was cut short as Riven spoke to my mind.

_-then I would've said those exact words_, she concluded herself which was not what I expected before we we're bonded.

The rest of the dinner was uneventful as I noticed that Riven has now taken a liking to spicy meals, it was obvious that she was liking it because her speed on eating the spicy chicken has abnormally increased. After the dinner Riven made way for the bathroom but not before giving me a warning glare, I immediately understood what she meant as I instinctively gulped while I took the plates to the kitchen.

Washing the plates is really a labor I do not like doing, if you want a reason I don't have any. I'm just lazy when it comes to this trivial labor.

By the time I was done washing the plates, I saw Riven at the living room, already washed and was now wiping each fragment of her blade with a white cloth.

"Where did you get that cloth?" I asked her as I took the towel and my pajamas for me to change in.

"Hmm? I always have this with me in case I have to polish this blade or wipe blood of it's edges" she said blood lightly, sometimes I forget that Riven is a veteran in terms of warfare in it's ups and downs. No, rephrase that, there are no 'ups' in war.

I emerged from the bathroom with a wet hair, if you consider my stubble a type of hair, and a fresh set of clothes, Riven was not in the living room so I guess that she maybe sleeping, I hung the wet towel near the shower room and went to the living room as I took my laptop to the bedroom so that I could put it there.

Riven was at the bed, with the covers over her but she's not sleeping yet, instead she was looking at the ceiling. I also looked at the ceiling, maybe there really IS a thing of interest on my wonderful ceiling. Unsurprisingly, there was nothing there except the light bulb.

"Of course your ceiling's empty, idiot" Riven said as she saw me putting the laptop on top of my study desk.

"Francis, could you come here, please?" I heard Riven call me. I immediately sat down at my bed, only for her to forcefully pull me into the bed.

"What was that for?!" I complained as I regained control of my hand that she forcefully pulled but she still held with a vice grip.

"First of all, you are a terminally-ill man-" I frowned at that, not pity again! It was the only thing in my mind that I forgot that the two of us are in bed with our bodies facing, close, but not in contact with each other. If I wasn't thinking of my pride, I would've been blushing. Damn.

"Secondly, you've been sleeping in poor conditions with that frail body of yours, and again, your sickness!" Riven said, by now I was completely bored at what she was talking about, I already explained to her that I don't want people having conversation and doing things about my well-being. I began to turn around and leave the bed when Riven stopped me from going by holding my hand, effectively stopping me from going further.

Then in a soft voice that completely caught me off guard she spoke;

"Thirdly and lastly, I . . . I want company" my eyes widened at what she said, mostly because I didn't expect her to say that on top of her lectures. I glanced back at the platinum-haired woman only to see her amber eyes looking away, with her cheeks in a color reminiscent of the chili that dotted our dinner's texture.

I sighed heavily as I wordlessly reentered the bed and laid down beside her, I didn't think of the fact that she's worried about me because I'm also worried about her, god I'm stupid. I started to fall into fitting and restful sleep, but not before I noticed an arm hug my torso and a head resting on my bony chest shortly thereafter.

xXx

Sunlight was the first thing that greeted me the next day, much to the disapproval of my eyes. My first goal for today would be to close those damn shutters, who left them open last night, anyway? Oh yeah, me.

I was about to stand when I realized that I couldn't, confused I looked at my chest where the primary weight was on, imagine my shock when I saw the platinum-haired champion cuddled at my chest with a serene look on her face. The first reaction that escaped from me was a sigh of contentment and . . . happiness.

_Good lord thank you for that faithful night_ I thought in gladness to what happened over the past few days.

I felt Riven budge for awhile before the beautiful sword-toting food monster woke up, she slowly raised her head, her amber eyes also bothered by the annoying sunlight. With her eyes half open, she looked at me.

"Good morning, Francis" she mumbled, before cutely smiling at me.

"Good morning, Bunny" I replied with a chuckle as I ruffled Riven's platinum morning hair. She smiled before she went back to cuddling me. She's been acting real weird ever since last night.

Then, as if waking up from a nightmare, Riven's eyes open abruptly, those beautiful amber eyes seemed frantic as it saw where she was sleeping. I was watching all this with a smirk as I wondered what's gotten into the champion.

She then quickly dismantled herself from the cuddling position and scuttled to the other part of the bed, curled into a fetal position and wrapped the covers around her body. I wonder what she's thinking, wait a minute, I could also read her mind, well at least her immediate thoughts. That's what I observed on Riven's mental actions, she cannot dig into my memory and can only read what I was thinking.

I decided to give it a try, as I focused on the curled figure of Riven, concentrating my mind and repeating the mantra to 'hear her thoughts' in my own mind. I almost surrendered when I still didn't hear anything in almost a minute now, but then I heard something faint in my mind, surprised and amused I continued focusing on Riven until I finally made out the words that she has been thinking.

_Bythegodsbythegodsbythegodsbythegodsbythegods . . ._ her mind kept repeating it so fast that I barely recognized it as the runeterran form of 'Oh My God'.

"Why are you repeating 'by the gods' over and over" I asked her before I stood and stretched my bones.

I waited for her reply, predicting her to say a witty comeback or a red-faced litany. Surprised that she did not say any of those, I simply shook my head and started to go for the kitchen and for a hopefully good breakfast, I still don't think that I'll be better with this thing called cooking.

"Good lord you're acting pretty weird lately!" I exclaimed before I went to start the day through cooking breakfast.

xXx

What Francis did not know is that the platinum haired champion that was curled up into a ball was profusely blushing from under the covers.

"What the hell did I just do?!" she shouted from under the covers, her voice muffled because her whole blushing face was pushed at the pillow, it is of her own working though, in an obviously futile effort to sort her feelings out.

xXx

The day for me was pretty dreary, lifeless and simple. I was relieved for it though, it is better to be bored yet safe than adrenaline-pumped and dead. As I went inside the condominium building, something in my mind made me look at the stairways. As I am sure that Riven cannot influence me in that kind of way, my stupid mind decided that I should use the stairway instead of the elevator. I grunted as I made for the stairways.

My sister would be crying blood seeing me moving up the stairways, then he would either congratulate me or laugh at my sweating face. I groaned, not good to think about that woman and her antics.

After almost a decade of climbing the steps and the agony of aching bones I finally reached the floor where my room was located. Exhausted because of doing strenuous activity with a scrawny body, I nearly scrambled towards the door, very much looking like a zombie as I opened the room.

It was seven and I knew that I was kinda late in returning home, well I blame the traffic. One of the problems that the 'democratic' republic of the Philippines still hasn't fixed. Still, my memory still went lazy on me, the only thing I remembered for tonight is that I have something in my schedule of utmost importance, but I just can't pinpoint what it was. The answer to that sinking feeling was laid out in front of my bewildered eyes as I saw two, of the most dangerous, of the most scariest women I've seen in my whole life. The untold fact that the two of them they are very dangerous if left alone with the other on the same room increased the state of alarm that's currently ringing in my head at the moment.

Sitting on sofas opposite of each other was Riven and Akali, both having a passive yet stony look(well, that's what I gleaned off Akali's masked face) but the tense atmosphere in my room and the alertness I felt from Riven's mind(I didn't know how I exactly _felt _it)made me know that they're not exactly on friendly terms.

"Uhh . . . Where's Gian?" I asked cautiously, I deemed the situation very tense and must be tackled and handled with great care, especially if you don't want disaster to happen, or in my case, if you don't want your room to be scrapped.

"He said he's going to take some food and beverages" it was Akali who replied and the way she said it was short and quick, not a good way to talk with other people. And I guess that Riven knew that already, she may have tried speaking to the green-clad ninja. May. I'm usually wrong on my predictions.

"And I guess he left you two so that you can warm up on each other?" I asked, not minding the intense gaze that Akali has nor the raised brow of Riven's as I sat on a sofa placed adjacent to the glass table but not beside Riven's nor Akali's sofas on the contrary my position was in the middle of the two if the glass table wasn't there, which was quite a good place as any as I want to establish a middleman role between these two women.

I let out a heavy sigh as I began to talk;

"As I've said before, this place is not Runeterra, it doesn't hold home to Noxus or Ionia or any other city-state for that matter" I said as I worked on my damnable tie, I can't seem to be at ease in removing this abominable contraption.

"But what about the things they've done?" I was surprised to hear Akali not speaking in a fervent and angry tone but instead in a factual and debatable one. Looks like I left an impression last night.

"I've already told you about it last night didn't I? If you remain unconvinced then think upon this matter, also you Riven. Are all things good and evil?" I asked, wanting them to reflect on this subject and hopefully have a metaphorical glance at what I'm trying to say.

" . . . Of course . . ." Akali said.

"Yes, I suppose so . . ." came Riven's words.

The both of them were awfully unsure about their answers, I would be surprised if they aren't.

"Ladies, in this world there is no such thing as good or evil, white or black, we people call it various shades of gray" I explained, though I'm sure it was a bit grandiose to what they expect. Two heads nod at what I said, which urged me to continue.

"I mean, think of this, people do not have a natural alignment to each case, for example if there was this evil warrior there is also a good part of himself waiting to be aroused, here in our world conscience and the influence of others make turning such characters into more desirable or less desirable depending on the influence around him" I said trying to explain in a manner I thought was the easiest for me to say.

There was a short silence before Akali swerved her head to Riven's direction and said;

"Does he always speak like this?" she asked.

"If you mean being grandiose and sometimes complicatedly annoying, he has his moments, otherwise he's terribly afflicted with idiocy" Riven in a tone that is akin to lamentation.

"Hmph, says the woman who slept on my chest" I muttered.

"What did you say?" there were two voices who asked the same question, the first was Akali but the second was not Riven's, who's face was currently very red, the voice was in fact, Gian's. It seems that I forgot to close the door.

"What? Riven slept on your chest?" Did I mutter it loudly, because the way this guy acts implies so.

"Whatever" I said in reply. I noticed the guy brought a bucket of fries for all of us. I saw Riven's and Akali's hands darting towards the food container at about the same time.

"So, what else do you know about our current predicament?" I asked as my hand darted into the bucket of sliced and salted potatoes.

"Well, Akali told me that she got whisked away from her world to ours in a jiffy, she said that she was just training in the institute of war when suddenly BAM! She's in front of my computer!" Gian explained halfheartedly.

"The same thing happened to me" Riven agreed.

"Wait, she arrived in front of your computer? She didn't literally break the fourth wall?!" I asked incredulously.

"Yeah, she arrived in front of my computer, and the first thing she did was point her blades at me" Gian said, rolling his eyes when Akali gave him a sheepish look.

"Goddammit, why's he so lucky?!" I complained while I dramatically clutched my head and arched my back in frustration, I don't know if I'm faking it or not but I'm sure I was not.

I heard Riven sigh, either at my dramatics or at the obviously confused face of our two visitors. I have a nagging feeling though, that she was sighing for both reasons.

"What this insufferable idiot is trying to say is that you and Akali doesn't have the problems that he suffered to this day" Riven said with a smile.

"By problem she means herself" I said to Akali and Gian as I pointed a thumb at her direction.

"Please explain" Gian said with a big smile.

"Oh it's a common story, stormy night, building shook, injured woman blasting out of my computer, no big deal!" I said with a tone that is waving sarcasm like a national flag for a newly independent country.

"Anyway, speak what you have to speak about our current problem" I said, trying to steer this conversation back on track.

"Yeah, aside from various reports of champions showing around the globe there's also someone, or someones, that delete any information about their presence" Gian said, I groaned, my suspicions are correct and I'm afraid about the motives of this someone/someones, my life may get fucked up for all I know.

"That's not good" Riven commented.

"On the contrary, I think it is" Gian said a-matter-of-factly.

Both Akali and Riven gave him a look of an unasked question.

"You see, if the world knows about the two of you, I think there would be a state of panic, and if that would come to an end there would be paranoia concerning your abilities and mere presence" Gian explained. Which was true, makes me wonder about the identity of those that hide the champions' presence.

"Plus, the sheer number of fanboys and fangirls wanting to meet you!" I added.

The two girls just gave me a bored look, I'm surprised they didn't even ask of the meaning of fanboys and fangirls.

Riven sighed.

"So even here, people would hound us for the sake of a simple signature on their stuff" she said as Akali shook her head in what I thought was disbelief.

"You mean, fans exist in your world?!" Gian asked incredulously, apparently Akali didn't share to him about this certain topic like Riven didn't share this to me.

Both of the women nodded solemnly as reply to Gian's question.

"So you don't know how we're even here?" Akali asked, obviously disliking the topic we're currently talking about.

"I know how you're here but I don't know the method of who got you here and what they exactly did to get you here" Gian replied.

"There are rumors floating around about a bunch of hackers messing up with the game, Riot confirmed that there really were hackers that attempted to do some damage to the game but they said that they have been dealt with even before they did any serious damage to the game" Gian said.

"I'm sensing a 'but' in there somewhere" I commented.

"Yup, the time Riot confirmed the presence of the hackers was the same day a green-clad woman appeared on my room" Gian said.


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note:**

Hey guys! Long time no update, yes? Well here's one. You might wonder why I have an author's note this time, well it's because I'm gonna be really busy for the next weeks, you know, college and stuff. So yeah, longer intervals between updates should be expected . . .

Well? Read your hearts out! XD

* * *

Chapter 12:

I sighed tiredly.

"That means that they're hiding something . . ." I said with another sigh, this obviously does not bode well for all of us.

"So, what should we do about it?" I asked at the three, contemplating and serious-faced people in front of me. They're so grim about the situation as it is, when I asked them that question three pairs of eyes looked at me with inquiring looks.

"I mean, whatever they're hiding must be important to this whole mystery" I reasoned out. All of them nodded but they still look pretty unconvinced or something.

"Well, if we're gonna crack the 'Mystery of the League of Legends Champions', then we better start acquiring knowledge" Gian said, using the universal sign for quotation marks for emphasis on the topic.

"Where should we start?" Gian asked at me, the heads of the two champions swiveling in my direction after that question was raised.

"Uhh . . . Why are you guys looking at me?" I asked, one eyebrow arched and my arms crossed.

"I dunno ask the author" Riven shrugged.

"What?" three voice raised the same question.

"Nothing, figure of speech" she muttered loudly in reply.

"Come on, let's get serious wh-" I said, only to be interrupted by a white-haired woman.

"You? Serious? When?" she said in mock disbelief, but I had a feeling that she really mean what she joked about.

"Hey!" I replied with an intense stare, Riven just smiled, innocently if I might add, back.

"Get a room, you two!" Gian said while throwing the pillows of my sofa at me,

"Correction, this is my room" I said while returning the pillow back to its sender with force.

"Morons" I heard Riven comment before sighing heavily.

"I can't believe it, but I'm agreeing with the Noxian" it was more than a surprise for me hearing Akali say that. Moreover when she also had the same expression that Riven did, I'm not sure what Riven's reaction was but I'm sure that I don't want to be compared to Gian right over here.

I was so surprised at what Akali said that I didn't notice the white object flying to my perfectly innocent face. It may be soft but it was rather fast and the thrower gave quite a throw. The result was me getting seated back at my comfortable sofa quite forcefully.

Only that it was not my seat.

It was Riven's.

Oh and did I mention that I was falling with my head looking at a certain wide-eyed and surprised beauty.

The next moments were quite a blur, I saw a quickly reddening face and something unidentifiable flying to meet my face.

Then pain.

And like that, and like usual, I was drifting into unconsciousness.

xXx

"Francis!" Riven and Gian screamed at the same time, the former's was that of shock at what she did and the latter's was shock of what happened. Riven felt awful, this was the second incident caused by her which ended with Francis sprawled, still comically, on the floor.

"Is he alright?" Gian said as Riven checked the bald guy's pulse, it was still there so she concluded that he just fainted yet again. Still, Riven is worried, remembering about her summoner's sickness, she doesn't know a thing about 'Lung Cancer' and Francis was being evasive every time she would open up that topic, so she doesn't know the effects of what she had done to his sickness.

"Riven, is he alright?" Riven was cut off from her thinking by Gian's urgent voice. She looked at him, the guy looked worried and was looking at her, the said guy's champion also looking at her but not showing any visible emotions.

"Oh, uh, yeah, he just fainted" she replied, shame clear on her voice.

"You say that as if it's a common occurrence!" Gian said incredulously, eyes wide and still in a quasi-state of voice-shrilling panic. And to Riven's ears, this man's voice is starting to shrill into a higher pitch. She shrugged, first Shekinah now this shrill-voiced Gian, his summoner really has a tendency for unusual friends.

"Yep!" Riven confirmed much to the shock of Francis' friend.

"Gian, your voice is shrilling, again" the amused voice of Akali drawled in the air, drawing a smirk from her fellow champion. Riven is liking this woman already, and that would be the first step to removing the hatred and prejudice she seems to be holding since their days on the fields of justice. Riven knew that she also has some sort of anger and hatred for the ionians and it would be difficult to get rid of that, she was hoping though, that things will change for the better in the future.

Looking at the idiotic pose of the fainted Francis, she knew that her future with him is something she's afraid of. Here is the weird guy that took her in without hesitation, fed her and tried his best to make her accustomed in his vast and odd world, she has done more things for her than anyone else she knew combined and she is always thankful to him for that. Even if his way of reacting to receiving thanks is to feed it to his inexhaustible ego with a shit-eating grin and a forced evil laugh.

Now she knew of a way to thank him back, his sickness is the one thing that makes him and her nervous in this world, the same as the ultimate skill of Darius makes her nervous. It's the one thing that makes her worry every time the scrawny guy gives off his signature smile, knowing all too well that he could collapse right after that smile. To her, it is only fitting to repay him for his good deeds, Riven would find a way to get him ridden of this deadly sickness called 'Lung Cancer'.

"He's waking up!" the high-pitched shrill of Gian's voice was like an old train with rusted steel wheels screeching the metal rails to a halt. It efficiently knocked Riven out of her thoughts, grounding her teeth and plugging her ears with her fingers.

Her summoner was indeed awakening, his eyes fluttering slowly his head moving side to side.

"He looks dazed" Gian said.

The bald guy whipped his head to Riven and smiled at her, though it was pretty clear to everybody present that he's slightly in a daze, his smile was not the usual, it held the property of a drunkard's.

"I see you again, Angel" he said, his voice not as firm . . . err . . . as mischievous like the usual.

_Yep, he's totally dazed_

"He's talking nonsense" Akali said while rolling her eyes

"Are you two . . . ?" Gian asked, looking at Riven with a new light. If this guy was Francis, then a punch would cut off that question, not him leaving it open-ended for Riven, and apparently the guy's champion too, as Akali looked at the scene before here with curiosity.

The guy they were talking about suddenly turned around and looked at his friend.

Right before screaming like a girl.

"AHHHHHHH! Stay away you foul fiend! The land of angels is not welcome from your demonic kind!" Riven heard Akali snicker as Gian gave the guy he was shrilling at with a withering and baleful glare.

"I take it back, he is talking some sense!" Akali said as both champions laugh.

Gian just looked at each of them, leving them with the stare that he gave at Francis but it seems to have no effect. After all, how can you scare someone that fights a living shadow, a walking and talking scarecrow and psychopathic clown? Instead the two women just continued laughing at Gian's misfortune.

_Man I feel woozy!_

A thought suddenly popped up on riven's mind, but she knew all too well that it was not hers. Looking at the guy struggling on the floor, Riven's laugh toned down to a pleased smile as she offered the dizzy, yet not much drunk-dazed, Francis. Still massaging his head, Riven saw him take her hand as she roughly pulled him up to a standing position.

Right before the guy almost collapsed to his knees again. Luckily, Riven caught him before he fell and guided him to sit beside her. The champion noticed that the other champion-summoner pair was still squabbling over something, Riven was not privy on their talk nor does she want to, her focus was on Francis who was clearly experiencing something else than just the wooziness from Riven's staggering punch.

_Tell . . . them t-to . . . leave . . . _

Francis' thoughts came fragmented, as if thinking itself gave him some sort of pain. Riven's state of worry only heightened, she bit her lower lip in the same emotion. She just hoped that it was not his dreaded sickness suddenly getting active, she would be helpless in that situation, not knowing even a single bit of fact about that sickness of his.

Turning around, Riven patted Gian's shoulder, stopping his squabble with his champion and causing the both of them to give her their attention.

"Guys, I'm gonna ask you to leave-" Riven felt something heavy fall on her left shoulder, the one in the direction of her summoner. She didn't fail to notice the wide-eyed look that Gian gave her, she didn't mind that, silently dreading that when she gave that attention, one of those infamous embarrassments that would light her face up.

"-Francis got woozy, he's looking for sleep and the night is not that young anymore" trying her best to remain calm under those curious and scrutinizing eyes of Gian and Akali, respectively.

Pregnant silence followed, with the white-haired champion getting more and more anxious as the seconds tick by. Then Gian sighed, as if breaking the unnoticed tension that was held between the three of them.

"Alright, alright" he said standing up and gathering his stuff. "Come on, Akali let's leave them be" he said to his companion, one of Riven's brows rose up as if to ask a question when she saw the mischievous twinkle in the guy's eyes. She didn't have a chance to think of that deeply though as she heard a groan coming from her left. She glanced at her left shoulder and was mildly surprised and mildly embarrassed to see Francis' head on her shoulders. And of course, her cheeks brightened with the infamous color of red.

_H-H-Help . . . me to . . . the . . . room . . ._

Riven snapped into action as soon as she heard that, worry being the primary motivator of her movement. She took Francis' right hand, wincing in worry when she felt that coldness of his fingers. Slinging his arms over her back, moving her left hand to his waist, Riven stood up, ever so slowly. Careful of not giving Francis any difficulty.

The both of them walked to his room, well Riven walked, Francis moved more like shambling than walking. Arriving beside his bed, she gently allowed him to slide into his bed.

"Are you alright?" Riven was more than afraid to ask that question, but her mind needed answers. Knowing Francis, she thought that he would answer it honestly or shrug it off entirely, depending on this weird man's mood.

But his answer was none of the things she expected, instead he flung back a question of his own at her.

"Why are you so worried?" he asked softly, his mischievous eyes holding none of it's usual gleam as it looked at her own. Riven found herself evading that stare, she asked that question to herself also. The answer was easy for her; because you cared. That would be her reply to him.

"B-Because y-you . . ." why is she finding it difficult to put those into words? Glancing at him, she noticed that he was still waiting for her answer, his eyes still trained at her. She heaved out a great sigh.

"B-Because you . . . c-cared . . ." she said.

The next thing she heard was his chuckle, though it held very little properties of mirth. But when Riven looked at him, she knew that he was not displeased. He was smiling, not that slightly mischievous, slightly mocking smile that was present on his face frequently.

It was a smile of genuine happiness.

"Riven" he said, she looked at him, cannot help herself to bring up a smile of her own. Then he coughed, Riven's eyes widened in shock as she saw red splotches on the hand he used to cover his face. Apparently he saw it too, his hands trembling and his face frowning at the sight. He was not surprised, Riven realized just then, that he was used to this.

It was his lung cancer.

"I'm gonna get a basin" she said, standing up before she could even get to a state of panic.

"Yes, and also . . . get my-" another cough, Riven's worry came back again. She didn't know how she can help in any other ways other than listening to Francis' instructions.

"-my medicine box. Black box inside the medicine rack-" he coughed again.

Riven all but sprinted towards the kitchen, quickly taking a steel basin and filling it with water. Her mind racing for fast completion, she dashed to the medicine rack, opening it and finding a box smaller than that of the medicine kit placed beside it. Hearing the telltale sound of overflowing water, Riven quickly pocketed it as she went back to the basin, letting water flow outside it so it wouldn't be sloshing on her way to Francis. She was forced to walk towards his room, not wanting to waste the water, but her walk was fast.

Back at the room, she saw Francis tucked under his covers, his gnarly and weird fingers were shaking and Riven did not know if it was out of nervousness or if it was the sickness. The guy's face was calm, though Riven sensed that he was forcing that calm. Something is clearly wrong.

She sat down beside his form and held the basin as he dipped his trembling hands in it. The musky blood spreading on the water as he washed his hands, after a few tense and worrisome moments,Francis finally finished washing his hands.

Riven gingerly took the blood seeped water and placed it on the floor.

"Black box" Francis muttered softly, her hand went into her pocket but his mind wandered how different Francis is now in this situation. She figured him and knew him to be a guy who doesn't recognize sadness but when he does recognize it he would take actions to turn it to something more pleasant. She knew him to be a blabbermouth who loves the use of grandiose words just to make longer sentences, and she knew how his sarcasm synchronizes perfectly with those. He is a man of many words, jovial nature and of a mischievous and shrewd mind.

But looking at him now nearly made Riven cry.

Sadness engulfed him completely, despair seemed to be a perfect fit of heavy coat that he was wearing. His words were barely long, they were terse, clipped, short and awfully simple, no emotion not even his leering sarcasm present on his voice.

Finally grasping the black box, Riven took it out and gave it to Francis' waiting hands. His hands nearly slipped in holding the box, her hands immediately taking the slipping box. She saw him smile at him for that.

_Gods even his smile is not the same_

She opened the black box and was surprised at what was inside the wooden contraption. Lined up in what seems like a soft velvet cloth was a syringe the size of fingers, there were smooth grooves on the cloth the same size of the syringe. She realized that those grooves once held the syringes, there were four grooves and a single syringe left. The syringe itself was filled with a blue liquid.

Something snapped in Riven's mind as she looked at the liquid.

Poison, a despoiled land, unrecognizable corpses drenched in the potent potion of a madman. A younger Riven crying at the battlefield, sword barely wielded as she dragged it outside the wartorn lands.

She was snapped out of her reverie as a firm yet cold hand grasped hers.

It was Francis'.

And it trembled.

"This is your medicine?" she asked, trying to remove those thoughts from her mind. This is not the time to be lamenting for the past, she knew in grim realization that she must focus here and now or she would be lamenting in the future. She can't help but shudder at the mere thought of his . . . No she must not think of that. He won't leave her.

A simple and slow nod was his only reply to her.

Riven's hands also trembled as she took the little syringe from it's casing. She forced herself into a state of cool calmness, if she wants to help her she must focus and not let her fear take hold.

"Where?" she asked him as she stared at the syringe posed for doing its work on her hands.

Francis wordlessly raised his right arm, Riven's eyes widened as she saw the nerves on his frail arm showing out clearly.

"Nerves" his voice was nothing now but a rasp, and she observed his difficulty in talking. He looked like the one thing he never wanted to look like; Pitiful. Riven slowly lined up the needle near his skin, she wanted this to be done with as quickly as possible but she was extremely careful for the well-being of her friend.

"Riven . . ." came his rasping voice.

Riven did not bother to look at him, she knew that his sad face would be the one string at him. Not the one full of mischief. Instead she inserted the needle slowly into his skin, penetrating a particular nerve. She pushed the end of the syringe and the blue liquid slowly went into his body.

Riven saw Francis gasp, and then it was over.

The syringe was empty.

"I'll get you water" Riven said as she took off to the kitchen, carrying the basin and the now empty black box with her.

Failing to notice the single tear that escaped his friend's left right eye.

xXx

Riven returned to Francis' room, hand clasping a glass of water, to find him staring at the window, his face was still as if he was lost in his thoughts. He noticed her looking at him and his attention moved to Riven. She walked towards the bed and sat beside where he was lying, putting the glass of water at the drawer/table beside his bed, she was stiill not feeling okay for her friend and she knew that her face was displaying it to him now. They looked at each other's eyes for a moment, neither speaking, her because she was not in the mood for talking and Francis because he finds it difficult. The staring contest was stopped when Francis gave her a smile, it was not yet that mischievous smile but it wasn't a dry and mirthless one either. He sighed as he scooted away from her, Riven looked at him with curiosity. To answer that, one eyebrow of his rose up. It took a few moments for Riven to realize that he was urging her to sleep beside him.

Her cheeks immediately flushed red, remembering what happened last night and what happened when the two of them woke up. It only intensified when the two events were fully pictured in her brain.

Then Francis laughed, it was a raspy and throaty laughter, clearly not a pleasant one. Completely devoid of his cheery and rich voice when he usually opened his mouth to laugh. Riven frowned, she wanted the old Francis back, this silent and smiling one is not that bald and mischievous scumbag she was used to.

His throaty laughter was abruptly cut off by a racking cough.

Alarmed, Riven reached out for the glass of water and scooted into the bed to give it to him. The bald man gingerly took the offered glass and drank it's content with the fervor akin to a thirsty man. He grinned again as he gave back the glass of water to Riven, who was frowning as she looked at her friend. With a sigh she returned it back to the table, so that she can stand to put it back to the-

An arm snaked around her waist and tugged her back to the soft comforts of the mattress seconds after she placed the glass back to the drawer beside the bed.

The exile's eyes widened in pure surprise at what happened. She tried to squirm away but the arm held firmly, she was breathing quickly now, and she knew all too well that her cheeks were totally red. So she remained still, calming herself as the snaked arm progressed into a cuddly embrace. She knew all too well that her chaoitic and entropic, swirling emotions wouldn't let her have any sleep tonight.

"Thank you" she heard Francis say.

A smile crept towards Riven face, hearing him say that is too meaningful to keep her confusion about the awkward position she was in. She then remembered that she herself invited this guy that is hugging her now to sleep with her yesterday. A sigh escaped her lips, content at the situation.


End file.
